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You have heard and read so much regarding the use of slimming jabs to get slim, it feels like the moment has come to try them out ahead of the holiday period. The problem is cost.

Yet it appears there are other options rather than obtaining a doctor's script and going to the chemist. A text message arrives giving a link to a site with much cheaper drugs – and requiring no need to go through official channels. And you saw a similar ad on social media the other day, so you decide to take the plunge.

The problem is these ads are highly likely to be scams. In the best-case scenario, you'll receive no product and lose any funds you spent. In the worst, you obtain a counterfeit item, containing unspecified components that could lead to serious medical issues.

The popularity of authentic slimming drugs has led to a increase in fake goods hitting the market and deceptive practices set up to simply take consumers' cash.

Medical regulators have advised avoiding buying such unlawful slimming medications absent a doctor's order from aesthetic clinics, bogus online chemists or through social media, stating they could contain “harmful substances and other ingredients which may provoke genuine injury”.

New figures from a high street bank show a significant surge in the number of customers who have been affected by the scam. According to the bank, the amount of money lost to fraudulent activities related to slimming jabs, injector pens, tablets and lipid-reducing solutions during the third quarter this year, was over twice the total sum lost in the prior quarter. Each incident typically costs victims £120, it says.

“Fraudsters are actively exploiting individuals' self-doubts and health concerns, with these scams soaring in the past few months,” notes a bank’s head of fraud.

How It Appears

Most take place on messaging apps and social networks. Across platforms, an account may imitate the brand that you seek, but there will typically be slight variations in spelling 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 certain authentic slimming injections, has increased recently, the scammers will price their “product” lower.

“Purchasing from unapproved vendors online can entail a significant financial, health-related and emotional cost,” says the fraud expert.

What to do

As with all scams, the wise saying applies: should something seem overly advantageous, then it probably is.

Medical authorities have cautioned people to be extremely cautious when purchasing medications online. These products must solely be acquired from a registered pharmacy with a valid script issued by a healthcare professional, it says. If sourced elsewhere, they can present significant dangers to wellbeing.

Criminals can expend considerable effort to make their site or online profile appear completely genuine. Should they state to be an internet-based chemist based in Great Britain, you can check the website of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to confirm they are properly registered.