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You've come across a great deal about people using slimming jabs to get slim, you feel it is time to give it a go in the run-up to the festive season. The problem is cost.

But it seems there are other options instead of getting a prescription and going to the pharmacy. A text message arrives providing a URL to a website with much cheaper drugs – and requiring no necessity to navigate official channels. You also noticed a similar ad on social media recently, so you decide to go for it.

The catch is such promotions are highly likely to be fraudulent schemes. In the best-case scenario, you will be sent no product and forfeit any funds you paid. At worst, you receive a fake version, containing unspecified components that could lead to severe health problems.

The popularity of authentic slimming drugs has resulted in a rise in fake goods entering circulation and deceptive practices set up to merely steal people’s money.

Health authorities have advised avoiding buying such unlawful weight loss medicines absent a doctor's order from aesthetic clinics, fake pharmacy websites or through digital platforms, saying they could contain “toxins and additional components which may provoke real harm”.

New figures from a high street bank show a significant surge in the quantity of clients who have been affected by the fraud. According to the bank, the amount of money stolen through fraudulent activities related to weight loss injections, pens, tablets and fat-dissolving products during the third quarter this year, was more than double the total sum stolen in the prior quarter. Each incident typically sets back sufferers £120, reports indicate.

“Fraudsters are actively exploiting individuals' self-doubts and medical worries, with such frauds skyrocketing in the past few months,” notes a bank’s head of fraud.

What it looks like

The majority occur on communication platforms and social media. Across platforms, a profile may mimic the company that you are looking for, but you'll often notice slight variations in text or logos.

These communications or updates will frequently use urgency-laden phrases such as “limited-time offer”, “special promotion” or “free giveaway”.

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

“Buying from unverified sellers on the internet can entail a significant financial, medical and psychological toll,” warns the security specialist.

What to do

As with all scams, the wise saying applies: if it appears overly advantageous, it likely isn't genuine.

Medical authorities have cautioned people to be highly vigilant when buying medicines via the web. These products must solely be acquired from a licensed chemist with a valid script provided by a medical practitioner, they advise. When procured from other sources, they can present serious risks to health.

Fraudsters can expend considerable effort to make their site or social media page appear completely genuine. If they claim to be an online pharmacy located within Great Britain, it's possible to verify the online portal of the medicines oversight organisation to ensure this is properly registered.