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You've come across so much regarding the use of slimming jabs to get slim, it feels like it is time to give it a go in the run-up to the festive season. The problem is cost.

But it seems there are other options rather than obtaining a doctor's script and visiting the pharmacy. A text message arrives giving a link to a site with much cheaper medication – and requiring no need to navigate official channels. And you saw a similar ad on online platforms the other day, so you decide to go for it.

The problem is these ads are almost certainly scams. At best, you'll receive nothing and lose whatever money you paid. At worst, you receive a fake version, containing unspecified components which may result in severe health problems.

The widespread use of legitimate weight loss medications has resulted in a rise in counterfeit products entering circulation and scams established to simply take consumers' cash.

Medical regulators have advised avoiding purchasing such unlawful weight loss medicines without a prescription from beauty salons, fake pharmacy websites or through social media, saying they might include “toxins and additional components which may provoke real harm”.

Recent statistics from a high street bank show a sharp rise in the number of customers who have been affected by the scam. According to the bank, the total sum lost to scams related to weight loss injections, pens, tablets and fat-dissolving products during the third quarter this year, was over twice the total sum stolen in the previous three months. Each incident typically costs victims £120, reports indicate.

“Fraudsters are deliberately targeting people’s insecurities and health concerns, with such frauds soaring in the past few months,” says a bank’s head of fraud.

What it looks like

The majority take place on communication platforms and social media. Across platforms, a profile may imitate the company that you are looking for, but you'll often notice slight variations in text or brand marks.

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

As the price of certain authentic weight loss jabs, rose recently, the scammers will set the cost of their “product” lower.

“Buying from unapproved vendors online can come at a significant financial, health-related and psychological toll,” warns the fraud expert.

What to do

As with all scams, the wise saying holds true: should something seem too good to be true, then it probably is.

Health regulators have warned people to be highly vigilant when purchasing medications online. They should only be obtained from a licensed chemist using a prescription issued by a healthcare professional, they advise. When procured from other sources, they can present significant dangers to wellbeing.

Criminals can go to great lengths to design their webpage or social media page look as authentic as possible. Should they state to be an online pharmacy based in Great Britain, it's possible to verify the website of the medicines oversight organisation to confirm this is properly registered.