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You have come across a great deal about people using weight loss injections to get slim, it feels like it is time to try them out in the run-up to the holiday period. The problem is expense.

Yet it appears there are other options rather than getting a prescription and visiting the pharmacy. A text message arrives giving a link to a website with much cheaper drugs – and requiring no need to navigate official channels. You also noticed a similar ad on social media recently, prompting you to go for it.

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

The popularity of legitimate slimming drugs has resulted in a rise in counterfeit products entering circulation and scams set up to simply take consumers' cash.

Health authorities have advised avoiding purchasing such unlawful slimming medications without a prescription from beauty salons, fake pharmacy websites or via social media, saying they might include “harmful substances and other ingredients that could cause genuine injury”.

Recent statistics from a high street bank show a significant surge in the quantity of clients who have been affected by the fraud. The bank says, the total sum stolen through scams related to slimming jabs, injector pens, pills and lipid-reducing solutions during the third quarter this year, was more than double the total sum lost in the previous three months. Each incident typically sets back sufferers £120, it says.

“Scammers are deliberately targeting individuals' self-doubts and medical worries, with such frauds skyrocketing in recent months,” notes a bank’s head of fraud.

What it looks like

The majority occur on communication platforms and social networks. Across platforms, an account may mimic the brand 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 “limited-time offer”, “special promotion” or “complimentary gift”.

As the price of some legitimate slimming injections, rose of late, the fraudsters will price their “product” lower.

“Purchasing from unapproved vendors online can entail a serious financial, health-related and psychological toll,” warns the security specialist.

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Like any deceptive scheme, the wise saying applies: should something seem overly advantageous, then it probably is.

Health regulators have cautioned people to be highly vigilant when purchasing medications online. They should solely be acquired from a registered pharmacy using a prescription provided by a healthcare professional, it says. If sourced elsewhere, they may pose significant dangers to health.

Fraudsters can go to great lengths to make their site or online profile appear completely genuine. If they claim to be an online pharmacy located within the UK, it's possible to verify the online portal of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to confirm they are properly registered.