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You have come across a great deal regarding the use of slimming jabs to get slim, 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 instead of getting a prescription and visiting the pharmacy. An SMS arrives giving a link to a site with more affordable drugs – and requiring no need to navigate proper procedures. You also noticed a similar ad on online platforms the other day, so you decide to take the plunge.

The problem is such promotions are almost certainly fraudulent schemes. In the best-case scenario, you will be sent no product and forfeit whatever money you paid. At worst, you receive a fake version, containing unspecified components which may result in severe health problems.

The widespread use of authentic weight loss medications has led to a rise in counterfeit products entering circulation and deceptive practices established to merely steal consumers' cash.

Medical regulators have warned against buying these illegal weight loss medicines absent a doctor's order from aesthetic clinics, bogus online chemists or via digital platforms, stating they could contain “toxins and other ingredients which may provoke real harm”.

New figures from a high street bank reveal a sharp rise in the quantity of customers who have been affected by the scam. According to the bank, the amount of money lost to fraudulent activities related to weight loss injections, injector pens, tablets and fat-dissolving products during the third quarter , was over twice the total sum stolen in the previous three months. Each incident typically costs victims £120, reports indicate.

“Fraudsters are deliberately targeting individuals' self-doubts and medical worries, with these scams skyrocketing in the past few months,” says a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.

How It Appears

The majority occur on communication platforms and social media. Across platforms, a profile may mimic the company that you are looking for, but there will typically be subtle differences in spelling or brand marks.

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

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

“Purchasing from unverified sellers on the internet can come at a significant monetary, health-related and emotional cost,” says the security specialist.

What to do

Like any deceptive scheme, the wise saying applies: should something seem too good to be true, it likely isn't genuine.

Medical authorities have cautioned people to be extremely cautious when buying medicines via the web. They should only be obtained from a licensed chemist using a prescription issued by a medical practitioner, they advise. If sourced elsewhere, they can present serious risks to wellbeing.

Fraudsters can expend considerable effort to design their webpage or social media page look as authentic as possible. Should they state to be an online pharmacy located within Great Britain, you can check the website of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to ensure they are correctly licensed.