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You've come across a great deal regarding the use of slimming jabs to get slim, it feels like it is time to give it a go ahead of the holiday period. The problem is expense.

Yet it appears alternatives exist rather than obtaining a doctor's script and going to the chemist. An SMS arrives 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 social media the other day, so you decide to take the plunge.

The catch is these ads are highly likely to be scams. In the best-case scenario, you'll receive nothing and forfeit whatever money you paid. At worst, you receive a counterfeit item, containing unspecified components which may result in severe health problems.

The popularity of authentic weight loss medications has led to a increase in counterfeit products hitting the market and deceptive practices established to merely steal people’s money.

Medical regulators have advised avoiding buying these illegal weight loss medicines absent a doctor's order from beauty salons, bogus online chemists or via digital platforms, saying they might include “harmful substances and additional components which may provoke real harm”.

New figures from a high street bank show a significant surge in the number of customers who have been impacted by the fraud. According to the bank, the amount of money lost to fraudulent activities involving weight loss injections, pens, pills and fat-dissolving products during the third quarter this year, was more than double the overall amount stolen in the previous three months. The average scam costs victims £120, reports indicate.

“Scammers are deliberately targeting people’s insecurities and health concerns, with these scams soaring in recent months,” says a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.

What it looks like

Most take place on messaging apps and social networks. Across platforms, an account may imitate the company that you are looking for, but you'll often notice subtle differences in text or brand marks.

These communications or updates will frequently use pressure-inducing language such as “time-sensitive deal”, “exclusive deal” or “free giveaway”.

With the cost of certain authentic slimming injections, rose recently, the fraudsters will set the cost of their “product” more cheaply.

“Purchasing from unverified sellers on the internet can come at a serious financial, health-related and psychological toll,” says the security specialist.

What to do

As with all scams, the wise saying applies: if it appears too good to be true, then it probably is.

Health regulators have cautioned people to be extremely cautious when purchasing medications online. They should only be obtained from a registered pharmacy with a valid script issued by a medical practitioner, it says. If sourced elsewhere, they may pose serious risks to wellbeing.

Criminals can go to great lengths to make their site or social media page look as authentic as possible. If they claim 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.