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You've heard and read a great deal regarding the use of weight loss injections to lose weight, you feel it is time to try them out ahead of the festive season. However, the issue lies in expense.

But it seems there are other options rather than getting a prescription and visiting the chemist. An SMS comes through giving a link to a website with much cheaper medication – and requiring no need to go through proper procedures. You also noticed a similar ad on social media recently, prompting you to take the plunge.

The problem is such promotions are highly likely to be scams. At best, you will be sent nothing and forfeit whatever money you paid. At worst, you receive a fake version, containing unspecified components that could lead to severe health problems.

The popularity of legitimate weight loss medications has resulted in a increase in counterfeit products hitting the market and deceptive practices established to merely steal consumers' cash.

Health authorities have advised avoiding purchasing these illegal weight loss medicines without a prescription from beauty salons, fake pharmacy websites or through social media, stating they might include “harmful substances and additional components which may provoke genuine injury”.

Recent statistics from a high street bank reveal a sharp rise in the quantity of clients who have been affected by the fraud. According to the bank, the amount of money lost to scams related to weight loss injections, injector pens, tablets and fat-dissolving products during the third quarter this year, was over twice the total sum stolen in the prior quarter. Each incident typically costs victims £120, reports indicate.

“Fraudsters are actively exploiting individuals' self-doubts and medical worries, with these scams soaring in the past few months,” says a bank’s head of fraud.

What it looks like

Most occur on communication platforms and social networks. On socials, a profile may imitate the brand that you seek, but you'll often notice slight variations in text or brand marks.

The messages or updates will often use urgency-laden phrases such as “limited-time offer”, “exclusive deal” or “complimentary gift”.

With the cost of certain authentic slimming injections, rose recently, the fraudsters will set the cost of their “product” more cheaply.

“Buying from unapproved vendors on the internet can come at a significant financial, health-related and emotional cost,” says the security specialist.

What to do

As with all scams, the wise saying holds true: should something seem overly advantageous, then it probably is.

Medical authorities have warned people to be highly vigilant when purchasing medications via the web. They should solely be acquired from a licensed chemist using a prescription issued by a medical practitioner, they advise. When procured from other sources, they may pose serious risks to health.

Fraudsters can expend considerable effort to design their webpage or social media page look as authentic as possible. If they claim to be an internet-based chemist located within Great Britain, you can check the online portal of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to ensure this is correctly licensed.