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You've come across a great deal about people using weight loss injections to get slim, it feels like the moment has come to give it a go ahead of the holiday period. The problem is cost.

Yet it appears there are other options rather than obtaining a doctor's script and visiting the chemist. An SMS comes through giving a link to a website with much cheaper medication – and with no need to navigate official channels. And you saw a comparable advertisement on social media the other day, prompting you to take the plunge.

The catch is these ads are almost certainly fraudulent schemes. In the best-case scenario, you'll receive nothing and forfeit any funds you paid. In the worst, you receive a counterfeit item, containing unspecified components that could lead to severe health problems.

The widespread use of authentic weight loss medications has resulted in a increase in counterfeit products hitting the market and deceptive practices set up to merely steal people’s money.

Health authorities have warned against buying these illegal weight loss medicines absent a doctor's order from aesthetic clinics, fake pharmacy websites or through digital platforms, stating they might include “toxins and additional components which may provoke genuine injury”.

New figures from a major retail bank show a sharp rise in the quantity of customers who have been impacted by the fraud. According to the bank, the amount of money stolen through fraudulent activities involving weight loss injections, pens, tablets and lipid-reducing solutions during the third quarter , was over twice the total sum lost in the prior quarter. The average scam costs victims £120, it says.

“Fraudsters are deliberately targeting individuals' self-doubts and medical worries, with such frauds soaring in the past few months,” says a bank’s head of fraud.

How It Appears

The majority take place on messaging apps and social media. Across platforms, an account may mimic the company that you are looking for, but you'll often notice slight variations in spelling or brand marks.

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

As the price of certain authentic slimming injections, rose recently, the scammers will price their “product” lower.

“Buying from unverified sellers online can come at a significant monetary, health-related and psychological toll,” says the security specialist.

What to do

As with all scams, the wise saying applies: should something seem too good to be true, it likely isn't genuine.

Medical authorities have warned people to be highly vigilant when buying medicines via the web. These products must only be obtained from a licensed chemist with a valid script issued by a healthcare professional, it says. When procured from other sources, they may pose significant dangers to health.

Fraudsters can expend considerable effort to make their site or social media page look as authentic as possible. If they claim to be an online pharmacy based in Great Britain, it's possible to verify the website of the medicines oversight organisation to ensure this is correctly licensed.