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You have heard and read a great deal about people using slimming jabs to get slim, it feels like the moment has come to try them out in the run-up to the holiday period. The problem is cost.

But it seems there are other options instead of obtaining a doctor's script and visiting the chemist. A text message comes through giving a link to a website with much cheaper drugs – and with no need to navigate official channels. You also noticed a similar ad on online platforms the other day, prompting you to go for it.

The problem is these ads are highly likely to be scams. In the best-case scenario, you will be sent no product and forfeit whatever money you spent. At worst, you receive a fake version, containing unspecified components which may result in serious medical issues.

The widespread use of legitimate weight loss medications has resulted in a rise in fake goods hitting the market and scams established to merely steal people’s money.

Medical regulators have warned against buying such unlawful weight loss medicines without a prescription from beauty salons, bogus online chemists or via social media, saying they might include “toxins and other ingredients that could cause genuine injury”.

Recent statistics from a high street bank reveal a sharp rise in the number of customers who have been impacted by the scam. According to the bank, the total sum stolen through scams related to weight loss injections, pens, tablets and lipid-reducing solutions during the third quarter , was more than double the overall amount stolen in the prior quarter. The average scam sets back sufferers £120, it says.

“Scammers are actively exploiting people’s insecurities and medical worries, with such frauds skyrocketing in the past few months,” notes a bank’s head of fraud.

What it looks like

Most occur on messaging apps and social media. Across platforms, a profile may mimic the company that you seek, but you'll often notice slight variations in text or logos.

The messages or updates will frequently use urgency-laden phrases such as “limited-time offer”, “exclusive deal” or “complimentary gift”.

As the price of some legitimate slimming injections, rose recently, the scammers will set the cost of their “item” lower.

“Purchasing from unverified sellers online can entail a significant financial, health-related and emotional cost,” warns the fraud expert.

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Like any deceptive scheme, the wise saying applies: if it appears overly advantageous, then it probably is.

Medical authorities have warned people to be extremely cautious when purchasing medications via the web. They should only be obtained from a licensed chemist with a valid script issued by a medical practitioner, it says. When procured from other sources, they can present serious risks to wellbeing.

Criminals can go to great lengths to make their site or online profile appear completely genuine. Should they state to be an online pharmacy based in the UK, you can check the online portal of the medicines oversight organisation to ensure they are properly registered.