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You've heard and read a great deal regarding the use of slimming jabs to lose weight, it feels like the moment has come to give it a go in the run-up to the festive season. The problem is expense.

But it seems there are other options rather than getting a prescription and going to the chemist. An SMS comes through giving a link to a site with more affordable medication – and with no need to navigate official channels. You also noticed a similar ad on online platforms the other day, so you decide to go for it.

The problem is such promotions are almost certainly scams. In the best-case scenario, you will be sent no product and lose whatever money you paid. In the worst, you receive a counterfeit item, containing unspecified components which may result in severe health problems.

The widespread use of authentic slimming drugs has led to a increase in fake goods hitting the market and deceptive practices set up to simply take people’s money.

Medical regulators have advised avoiding buying such unlawful slimming medications absent a doctor's order from aesthetic clinics, bogus online chemists or through digital platforms, saying they might include “toxins and other ingredients which may provoke genuine injury”.

Recent statistics from a major retail bank reveal a significant surge in the quantity of customers who have been impacted by the scam. According to the bank, the amount of money lost to fraudulent activities involving slimming jabs, injector pens, tablets and fat-dissolving products during the third quarter this year, was more than double the total sum lost in the prior quarter. The average scam costs victims £120, reports indicate.

“Scammers are deliberately targeting individuals' self-doubts and health concerns, with these scams skyrocketing in recent months,” says a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.

How It Appears

Most take place on messaging apps and social media. Across platforms, a profile may mimic the brand that you seek, but you'll often notice slight variations in spelling or brand marks.

The messages or updates will often use urgency-laden phrases such as “time-sensitive deal”, “special promotion” or “complimentary gift”.

As the price of certain authentic weight loss jabs, has increased recently, the fraudsters will set the cost of their “product” more cheaply.

“Purchasing from unapproved vendors on the internet can entail a significant monetary, health-related and psychological toll,” warns the security specialist.

Recommended Actions

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

Health regulators have warned people to be extremely cautious when buying medicines via the web. These products must only be obtained from a registered pharmacy using a prescription issued by a medical practitioner, they advise. If sourced elsewhere, they may pose serious risks to health.

Criminals can go to great lengths to design their webpage or social media page appear completely genuine. Should they state to be an internet-based chemist based in the UK, it's possible to verify the website of the medicines oversight organisation to confirm they are correctly licensed.