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You have heard and read so much about people using slimming jabs to lose weight, it feels like the moment has come to give it a go in the run-up to the holiday period. The problem is cost.

But it seems alternatives exist rather than getting a prescription and visiting the chemist. A text message arrives providing a URL to a site with more affordable medication – and with no necessity to navigate proper procedures. And you saw a similar ad on online platforms the other day, so you decide to take the plunge.

The problem is these ads are almost certainly scams. At best, you will be sent nothing and forfeit any funds you paid. At worst, you obtain a counterfeit item, containing unspecified components that could lead to severe health problems.

The popularity of authentic weight loss medications has led to a increase in counterfeit products entering circulation and deceptive practices set up to merely steal consumers' cash.

Medical regulators have warned against purchasing these illegal slimming medications absent a doctor's order from beauty salons, bogus online chemists or through social media, saying they might include “toxins and other ingredients that could cause genuine injury”.

Recent statistics from a major retail bank show a significant surge in the number of customers who have been impacted by the scam. The bank says, the amount of money stolen through scams involving slimming jabs, injector pens, pills and lipid-reducing solutions between July and September this year, was over twice the total sum lost in the previous three months. Each incident typically costs victims £120, it says.

“Scammers are deliberately targeting individuals' self-doubts and health concerns, with such frauds soaring in recent months,” notes a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.

What it looks like

Most take place on communication platforms and social media. Across platforms, an account may mimic the company that you seek, but there will typically be slight variations in spelling or brand marks.

These communications or posts will frequently use pressure-inducing language such as “time-sensitive deal”, “special promotion” or “complimentary gift”.

With the cost of some legitimate weight loss jabs, has increased recently, the scammers will set the cost of their “product” lower.

“Purchasing from unverified sellers online can come at a serious monetary, medical and emotional cost,” says the security specialist.

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

Medical authorities have cautioned people to be highly vigilant when buying medicines online. They should only be obtained from a registered pharmacy using a prescription issued by a healthcare professional, they advise. When procured from other sources, they can present significant dangers to health.

Criminals can go to great lengths to design their webpage or social media page appear completely genuine. If they claim to be an online pharmacy located within Great Britain, you can check the online portal of the medicines oversight organisation to confirm this is correctly licensed.