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You've heard and read a great deal regarding the use of slimming jabs to get slim, it feels like it is time to try them out ahead of the holiday period. The problem is expense.

Yet it appears alternatives exist instead of getting a prescription and going to the chemist. A text message arrives giving a link to a website with much cheaper medication – and with no necessity to navigate official channels. You also noticed a similar ad on social media the other day, prompting you to take the plunge.

The catch is these ads are almost certainly fraudulent schemes. At best, you will be sent no product and lose any funds you spent. At worst, you receive a counterfeit item, with unknown ingredients which may result in severe health problems.

The widespread use of legitimate slimming drugs has resulted in a increase in fake goods hitting the market and scams set up to simply take people’s money.

Health authorities have advised avoiding buying such unlawful slimming medications absent a doctor's order from beauty salons, bogus online chemists or through social media, stating they might include “toxins and additional components which may provoke real harm”.

New figures from a high street bank show a sharp rise in the quantity of clients who have been affected by the fraud. According to the bank, the total sum stolen through fraudulent activities involving weight loss injections, pens, pills and fat-dissolving products during the third quarter , was over twice the total sum stolen in the previous three months. Each incident typically costs victims £120, it says.

“Scammers are deliberately targeting individuals' self-doubts and health concerns, with these scams soaring in recent months,” says a bank’s head of fraud.

How It Appears

Most occur on messaging apps and social networks. Across platforms, a profile may imitate the brand that you seek, but you'll often notice subtle differences in text or logos.

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

With the cost of some legitimate slimming injections, has increased of late, the scammers will price their “product” more cheaply.

“Purchasing from unverified sellers on the internet can come at a serious financial, medical and emotional cost,” warns the security specialist.

What to do

As with all scams, the wise saying holds true: if it appears overly advantageous, then it probably is.

Health regulators have warned people to be extremely cautious when buying medicines via the web. They should solely be acquired from a licensed chemist with a valid script issued by a medical practitioner, it says. If sourced elsewhere, they can present significant dangers to wellbeing.

Fraudsters can expend considerable effort to design their webpage or online profile look as authentic as possible. If they claim to be an online pharmacy based in the UK, it's possible to verify the online portal of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to confirm this is properly registered.