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You've come across so much about people using weight loss injections to get slim, you feel the moment has come to give it a go in the run-up to the festive season. The problem is expense.

But it seems alternatives exist instead of getting a prescription and visiting the pharmacy. An SMS arrives giving a link to a site with more affordable drugs – and requiring no necessity to navigate official channels. And you saw a similar ad on social media the other day, so you decide to go for it.

The catch is such promotions are almost certainly fraudulent schemes. In the best-case scenario, you'll receive no product and lose any funds you spent. At worst, you obtain a fake version, with unknown ingredients which may result in severe health problems.

The widespread use of authentic slimming drugs has resulted in a increase in fake goods hitting the market and scams established to simply take consumers' cash.

Health authorities have warned against purchasing these illegal slimming medications absent a doctor's order from aesthetic clinics, fake pharmacy websites or through social media, saying they might include “harmful substances and additional components which may provoke genuine injury”.

Recent statistics from a major retail bank reveal a sharp rise in the number of customers who have been affected by the scam. The bank says, the total sum lost to fraudulent activities involving weight loss injections, injector pens, tablets and lipid-reducing solutions between July and September , was more than double the overall amount stolen in the previous three months. The average scam sets back sufferers £120, reports indicate.

“Scammers are deliberately targeting people’s insecurities and medical worries, with such frauds skyrocketing in the past few months,” notes a bank’s head of fraud.

How It Appears

The majority occur on messaging apps and social media. On socials, a profile may mimic the brand that you seek, but there will typically be slight variations in spelling or logos.

These communications or posts will frequently use pressure-inducing language such as “limited-time offer”, “special promotion” or “free giveaway”.

With the cost of certain authentic slimming injections, rose recently, the scammers will set the cost of their “product” lower.

“Buying from unverified sellers on the internet can come at a serious monetary, medical and emotional cost,” says the security specialist.

What to do

As with all scams, the wise saying holds true: if it appears too good to be true, it likely isn't genuine.

Medical authorities have cautioned people to be highly vigilant when purchasing medications via the web. These products must only be obtained from a licensed chemist using a prescription issued by a healthcare professional, it says. When procured from other sources, they may pose significant dangers to wellbeing.

Fraudsters can expend considerable effort to make their site or online profile appear completely genuine. If they claim to be an online pharmacy based in the UK, it's possible to verify the online portal of the medicines oversight organisation to ensure they are properly registered.