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You've come across a great deal regarding the use of weight loss injections to get slim, you feel the moment has come to give it a go ahead of the festive season. The problem is expense.

But it seems there are other options rather than getting a prescription and visiting the chemist. An SMS arrives providing a URL to a site with much cheaper drugs – and with no need to navigate official channels. You also noticed a similar ad on online platforms recently, so you decide to go for it.

The problem is these ads are highly likely to be scams. In the best-case scenario, you'll receive nothing and forfeit whatever money you spent. At worst, you obtain a counterfeit item, with unknown ingredients that could lead to severe health problems.

The widespread use of legitimate weight loss medications has resulted in a increase in fake goods entering circulation and deceptive practices set up to merely steal people’s money.

Health authorities have warned against buying such unlawful weight loss medicines without a prescription from aesthetic clinics, fake pharmacy websites or via social media, stating they might include “toxins and other ingredients that could cause real harm”.

Recent statistics from a major retail bank reveal a significant surge in the number of clients who have been affected by the scam. According to the bank, the total sum stolen through scams related to slimming jabs, injector pens, pills and lipid-reducing solutions during the third quarter , was more than double the overall amount stolen in the previous three months. Each incident typically costs victims £120, it says.

“Fraudsters are actively exploiting individuals' self-doubts and medical worries, with these scams skyrocketing in the past few months,” notes a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.

How It Appears

The majority take place on messaging apps and social networks. On socials, an account may imitate the brand that you seek, but there will typically be subtle differences in text or brand marks.

These communications or posts will often use urgency-laden phrases such as “time-sensitive deal”, “exclusive deal” or “free giveaway”.

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

“Purchasing from unverified sellers online can come at a serious monetary, health-related and psychological toll,” says the fraud expert.

What to do

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

Medical authorities have warned people to be highly vigilant when purchasing medications online. These products must only be obtained from a registered pharmacy with a valid script issued by a healthcare professional, they advise. If sourced elsewhere, they may pose significant dangers to health.

Fraudsters can go to great lengths to make their site or social media page look as authentic as possible. If they claim to be an internet-based chemist based in the UK, you can check the online portal of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to ensure this is correctly licensed.