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You've come across so much regarding the use of slimming jabs to lose weight, you feel it is time to give it a go ahead of the holiday period. The problem is cost.

But it seems alternatives exist rather than obtaining a doctor's script and visiting the chemist. An SMS arrives giving a link to a website with much cheaper medication – and requiring no necessity to go through official channels. And you saw a comparable advertisement on social media the other day, prompting you to take the plunge.

The problem is these ads are almost certainly fraudulent schemes. In the best-case scenario, you'll receive nothing and lose whatever money you spent. At 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 rise in counterfeit products entering circulation and deceptive practices set up to merely steal consumers' cash.

Health authorities have warned against purchasing such unlawful weight loss medicines without a prescription from aesthetic clinics, bogus online chemists or via social media, saying they could contain “harmful substances and other ingredients which may provoke genuine injury”.

Recent statistics from a high street bank show a significant surge in the number of clients who have been impacted by the fraud. According to the bank, the amount of money lost to fraudulent activities related to weight loss injections, pens, pills and fat-dissolving products during the third quarter , was over twice the overall amount stolen in the previous three months. The average scam costs victims £120, it says.

“Scammers are actively exploiting individuals' self-doubts and health concerns, with such frauds skyrocketing in the past few months,” notes a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.

What it looks like

The majority occur on communication platforms and social media. Across platforms, a profile may imitate the brand that you are looking for, but you'll often notice subtle differences in spelling or logos.

These communications or posts will frequently use urgency-laden phrases such as “limited-time offer”, “special promotion” or “free giveaway”.

With the cost of some legitimate weight loss jabs, has increased of late, the fraudsters will set the cost of their “product” lower.

“Buying from unapproved vendors on the internet can come at a significant financial, medical and emotional cost,” warns the fraud expert.

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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 highly vigilant when purchasing medications via the web. These products must solely be acquired from a registered pharmacy with a valid script issued by a healthcare professional, they advise. If sourced elsewhere, they may pose serious risks to health.

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 Great Britain, you can check the website of the medicines oversight organisation to ensure they are properly registered.