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You have come across so much about people using weight loss injections to get slim, you feel it is time to give it a go in the run-up to the festive season. However, the issue lies in cost.

But it seems alternatives exist rather than obtaining a doctor's script and visiting the pharmacy. An SMS arrives providing a URL to a website with much cheaper medication – and requiring no need to navigate proper procedures. And you saw a comparable advertisement on online platforms recently, so you decide to go for it.

The catch is these ads are almost certainly scams. In the best-case scenario, you'll receive no product and forfeit any funds you spent. In the worst, you obtain a fake version, with unknown ingredients which may result in serious medical issues.

The popularity of authentic slimming drugs has resulted in a rise in fake goods hitting the market and scams set up to merely steal people’s money.

Medical regulators have warned against purchasing these illegal slimming medications without a prescription from beauty salons, bogus online chemists or through digital platforms, stating they might include “harmful substances and additional components which may provoke real harm”.

Recent statistics from a high street bank reveal a sharp rise in the quantity of customers who have been impacted by the fraud. According to the bank, the total sum stolen through scams involving weight loss injections, pens, tablets and lipid-reducing solutions between July and September , was more than double the overall amount stolen in the previous three months. The average scam sets back sufferers £120, it says.

“Scammers are actively exploiting individuals' self-doubts and health concerns, with these scams soaring in recent months,” says a bank’s head of fraud.

What it looks like

Most occur on messaging apps and social networks. Across platforms, an account may mimic the brand that you seek, but there will typically be subtle differences in text or logos.

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

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

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

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Like any deceptive scheme, the old adage applies: should something seem overly advantageous, it likely isn't genuine.

Health regulators have warned people to be highly vigilant when buying medicines via the web. These products must solely be acquired from a registered pharmacy using a prescription issued by a medical practitioner, they advise. If sourced elsewhere, they may pose significant dangers to wellbeing.

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 medicines oversight organisation to confirm this is correctly licensed.