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You have come across a great deal about people using slimming jabs to get slim, you feel the moment has come to give it a go ahead of the festive season. However, the issue lies in expense.

Yet it appears alternatives exist rather than obtaining a doctor's script and going to the chemist. A text message arrives giving a link to a site with much cheaper medication – and requiring no need to go through proper procedures. You also noticed a similar ad on social media the other day, prompting you to go for it.

The problem is such promotions are almost certainly scams. In the best-case scenario, you will be sent no product and lose whatever money you paid. In the worst, you receive a fake version, containing unspecified components that could lead to serious medical issues.

The popularity of legitimate slimming drugs has resulted in a rise in fake goods hitting the market and deceptive practices established to merely steal consumers' cash.

Medical regulators have advised avoiding purchasing these illegal weight loss medicines without a prescription from aesthetic clinics, bogus online chemists or through digital platforms, saying they might include “toxins and other ingredients that could cause real harm”.

Recent statistics from a high street bank show a significant surge in the quantity of customers who have been affected by the scam. According to the bank, the amount of money stolen through scams involving weight loss injections, pens, tablets and fat-dissolving products between July and September this year, was over twice the overall amount lost in the prior quarter. Each incident typically sets back sufferers £120, reports indicate.

“Scammers are deliberately targeting people’s insecurities and medical worries, with these scams skyrocketing in the past few months,” says a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.

What it looks like

The majority occur on communication platforms and social networks. On socials, an account may imitate the company that you seek, but there will typically be slight variations in text or brand marks.

The messages or posts will often use urgency-laden phrases such as “time-sensitive deal”, “exclusive deal” or “free giveaway”.

With the cost of some legitimate slimming injections, rose of late, the fraudsters will set the cost of their “item” lower.

“Buying from unapproved vendors online can entail a serious monetary, medical and psychological toll,” says the security specialist.

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As with all scams, the old adage holds true: if it appears overly advantageous, it likely isn't genuine.

Health regulators have warned people to be highly vigilant when buying medicines online. These products must solely be acquired from a registered pharmacy using a prescription provided by a healthcare professional, they advise. When procured from other sources, they may pose serious risks to wellbeing.

Criminals can go to great lengths to make their site or online profile look as authentic as possible. If they claim to be an online pharmacy based in the UK, it's possible to verify the website of the medicines oversight organisation to confirm this is properly registered.