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You've heard and read so much about people using slimming jabs to get slim, you feel the moment has come to try them out ahead of the festive season. The problem is cost.

But it seems there are other options rather than getting a prescription and going to the pharmacy. An SMS comes through providing a URL to a site with much cheaper drugs – and requiring no need to go through proper procedures. You also noticed a comparable advertisement on social media the other day, prompting you to go for it.

The catch is these ads are almost certainly fraudulent schemes. At best, you will be sent no product and forfeit whatever money you paid. In the worst, you receive a fake version, containing unspecified components that could lead to severe health problems.

The popularity of legitimate weight loss medications has led to a increase in fake goods hitting the market and scams set up to simply take people’s money.

Health authorities have warned against purchasing such unlawful weight loss medicines absent a doctor's order from aesthetic clinics, fake pharmacy websites or via social media, saying they might include “toxins and other ingredients that could cause genuine injury”.

Recent statistics from a high street bank show a sharp rise in the quantity of customers who have been impacted by the fraud. The bank says, the amount of money stolen through fraudulent activities involving slimming jabs, pens, pills and fat-dissolving products between July and September , was more than double the total sum stolen in the previous three months. Each incident typically sets back sufferers £120, reports indicate.

“Fraudsters are actively exploiting people’s insecurities and medical worries, with such frauds soaring in recent months,” says a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.

How It Appears

Most take place on communication platforms and social media. On socials, an account may imitate the company that you are looking for, but you'll often notice slight variations in spelling or brand marks.

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

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

“Purchasing from unverified sellers on the internet can come at a serious financial, health-related and emotional cost,” says the fraud expert.

What to do

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

Medical authorities have cautioned people to be extremely cautious when buying medicines online. They should solely be acquired from a registered pharmacy with a valid script issued by a medical practitioner, it says. If sourced elsewhere, they may pose significant dangers to wellbeing.

Criminals can go to great lengths to design their webpage or online profile look as authentic as possible. Should they state to be an internet-based chemist located within Great Britain, it's possible to verify the online portal of the medicines oversight organisation to ensure they are correctly licensed.