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You've come across so much about people using slimming jabs to get slim, it feels like the moment has come to give it a go ahead of the holiday period. The problem is expense.

But it seems alternatives exist rather than obtaining a doctor's script and visiting the chemist. An SMS arrives giving a link to a site with more affordable drugs – and requiring no necessity to go through official channels. And you saw a comparable advertisement on online platforms recently, so you decide to go for it.

The problem is such promotions are highly likely to be fraudulent schemes. In the best-case scenario, you will be sent nothing and forfeit whatever money you spent. In the worst, you receive a counterfeit item, with unknown ingredients which may result in serious medical issues.

The widespread use of authentic slimming drugs has led to a rise in counterfeit products hitting the market and scams established to simply take people’s money.

Health authorities have warned against purchasing these illegal weight loss medicines absent a doctor's order from aesthetic clinics, bogus online chemists or through social media, saying they might include “harmful substances and additional components that could cause genuine injury”.

Recent statistics from a major retail bank reveal a sharp rise in the quantity of customers who have been affected by the fraud. According to the bank, the total sum lost to fraudulent activities involving weight loss injections, pens, tablets and fat-dissolving products during the third quarter this year, was over twice the overall amount stolen in the prior quarter. Each incident typically costs victims £120, reports indicate.

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

How It Appears

The majority occur on communication platforms and social networks. Across platforms, a profile may imitate the brand that you seek, but you'll often notice subtle differences in spelling or logos.

These communications or updates will often use pressure-inducing language such as “limited-time offer”, “special promotion” or “free giveaway”.

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

“Buying from unverified sellers on the internet can entail a significant monetary, medical and emotional cost,” says the fraud expert.

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Like any deceptive scheme, the wise saying applies: if it appears overly advantageous, it likely isn't genuine.

Medical authorities have warned people to be highly vigilant when buying medicines online. They should solely be acquired from a registered pharmacy with a valid script issued by a medical practitioner, it says. If sourced elsewhere, they may pose significant dangers to wellbeing.

Fraudsters can expend considerable effort to make their site or social media page look as authentic as possible. If they claim to be an online pharmacy based in the UK, it's possible to verify the online portal of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to ensure they are properly registered.