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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 try them out ahead of the holiday period. However, the issue lies in expense.

But it seems there are other options rather than obtaining a doctor's script and visiting the pharmacy. An SMS comes through providing a URL to a website with much cheaper medication – and with no need to navigate official channels. You also noticed a comparable advertisement on social media the other day, prompting you to go for it.

The catch is such promotions are almost certainly fraudulent schemes. In the best-case scenario, you'll receive nothing and forfeit any funds you paid. In the worst, you receive a fake version, with unknown ingredients that could lead to severe health problems.

The popularity of authentic weight loss medications has resulted in a increase in fake goods entering circulation and scams established to merely steal people’s money.

Health authorities have advised avoiding purchasing such unlawful slimming medications absent a doctor's order from aesthetic clinics, fake pharmacy websites or through digital platforms, stating they might include “harmful substances and additional components 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. The bank says, the total sum stolen through fraudulent activities involving slimming jabs, injector pens, tablets and fat-dissolving products between July and September this year, was more than double the total sum stolen in the prior quarter. Each incident typically sets back sufferers £120, it says.

“Scammers are actively exploiting individuals' self-doubts and medical worries, with these scams soaring in the past few months,” notes 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 mimic the brand that you are looking for, but there will typically be subtle differences in text or logos.

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

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

“Purchasing from unapproved vendors on the internet can entail a serious monetary, health-related and emotional cost,” says the fraud expert.

What to do

Like any deceptive scheme, the old adage holds true: should something seem too good to be true, it likely isn't genuine.

Health regulators have warned people to be extremely cautious when buying medicines via the web. These products must only be obtained from a licensed chemist with a valid script issued by a healthcare professional, they advise. When procured from other sources, they can present significant dangers to health.

Fraudsters can go to great lengths to make their site or social media page appear completely genuine. Should they state to be an internet-based chemist located within Great Britain, it's possible to verify the online portal of the medicines oversight organisation to confirm they are correctly licensed.