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You've come across so much about people using slimming jabs to get slim, it feels like it is time to give it a go ahead of the festive season. The problem is cost.

But it seems alternatives exist instead of getting a prescription and going to the pharmacy. A text message arrives giving a link to a site with more affordable medication – and with no necessity to navigate proper procedures. You also noticed a similar ad on social media recently, prompting you to take the plunge.

The problem is these ads are highly likely to be fraudulent schemes. In the best-case scenario, you'll receive no product and forfeit any funds you spent. In the worst, you obtain a counterfeit item, with unknown ingredients that could lead to serious medical issues.

The widespread use of legitimate slimming drugs has led to a increase in counterfeit products hitting the market and deceptive practices set up to simply take consumers' cash.

Health authorities have advised avoiding buying these illegal weight loss medicines absent a doctor's order from beauty salons, fake pharmacy websites or through digital platforms, saying they could contain “harmful substances and other ingredients which may provoke real harm”.

New figures from a high street bank show a sharp rise in the number of clients who have been impacted by the scam. The bank says, the amount of money stolen through fraudulent activities related to weight loss injections, injector pens, pills and fat-dissolving products during the third quarter this year, was more than double the overall amount lost in the previous three months. Each incident typically sets back sufferers £120, it says.

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

What it looks like

The majority occur on communication platforms and social networks. Across platforms, a profile may mimic the company that you seek, but there will typically be slight variations in text or brand marks.

The messages or updates will frequently use pressure-inducing language such as “time-sensitive deal”, “special promotion” or “free giveaway”.

As the price of certain authentic weight loss jabs, rose recently, the scammers will set the cost of their “item” lower.

“Buying from unapproved vendors online can come at a serious financial, medical and emotional cost,” says the security specialist.

What to do

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

Health regulators have cautioned people to be extremely cautious when buying medicines online. These products must only be obtained from a licensed chemist with a valid script issued by a medical practitioner, it says. When procured from other sources, they may pose serious risks to health.

Fraudsters can expend considerable effort to make their site or social media page appear completely genuine. If they claim to be an internet-based chemist based in Great Britain, it's possible to verify the website of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to confirm they are correctly licensed.