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You've heard and read a great deal about people using slimming jabs to get slim, it feels like the moment has come to try them out ahead of the festive season. The problem is expense.

Yet it appears there are other options rather than getting a prescription and going to the chemist. A text message arrives providing a URL to a website with much cheaper medication – and requiring no need to go through proper procedures. And you saw a similar ad on online platforms recently, prompting you to go for it.

The problem is such promotions are highly likely to be scams. In the best-case scenario, you will be sent nothing and lose whatever money you spent. In the worst, you receive a counterfeit item, containing unspecified components which may result in serious medical issues.

The popularity of legitimate weight loss medications has led to a rise in fake goods entering circulation and scams established to simply take people’s money.

Health authorities have warned against purchasing these illegal weight loss medicines without a prescription from beauty salons, bogus online chemists or via social media, saying they might include “harmful substances and additional components that could cause real harm”.

New figures from a major retail bank show a sharp rise in the number of clients who have been affected by the fraud. The bank says, the total sum stolen through fraudulent activities involving weight loss injections, pens, tablets and fat-dissolving products between July and September , was more than double the total sum lost in the previous three months. Each incident typically sets back sufferers £120, it says.

“Scammers are actively exploiting people’s insecurities and health concerns, with such frauds skyrocketing in recent months,” notes a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.

How It Appears

Most occur on messaging apps and social media. Across platforms, an account may imitate the company that you are looking for, but you'll often notice subtle differences in spelling or brand marks.

These communications or posts will often use pressure-inducing language such as “time-sensitive deal”, “exclusive deal” or “free giveaway”.

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

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

Recommended Actions

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. These products must solely be acquired from a licensed chemist using a prescription issued by a healthcare professional, it says. When procured from other sources, they may pose serious risks to health.

Criminals can go to great lengths to make their site or social media page look as authentic as possible. Should they state to be an internet-based chemist based in Great Britain, you can check the online portal of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to confirm they are properly registered.