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You've heard and read so much about people using slimming jabs to get slim, it feels like the moment has come to try them out in the run-up to the holiday period. The problem is cost.

But it seems there are other options rather than obtaining a doctor's script and going to the chemist. A text message arrives providing a URL to a website with more affordable medication – and with no necessity to go through official channels. You also noticed a similar ad on online platforms the other day, so you decide to go for it.

The problem is these ads are highly likely to be fraudulent schemes. At best, you'll receive nothing and forfeit whatever money you paid. In the worst, you receive a fake version, containing unspecified components that could lead to serious medical issues.

The popularity of authentic weight loss medications has led to a increase in counterfeit products entering circulation and scams established to simply take consumers' cash.

Medical regulators have warned against purchasing such unlawful slimming medications without a prescription from aesthetic clinics, fake pharmacy websites or through social media, saying they could contain “toxins and other ingredients which may provoke genuine injury”.

New figures 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 amount of money stolen through scams related to weight loss injections, pens, tablets and fat-dissolving products during the third quarter , was over twice the overall amount stolen in the prior quarter. Each incident typically costs victims £120, it says.

“Fraudsters are actively exploiting individuals' self-doubts and medical worries, with these scams soaring in the past few months,” says a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.

What it looks like

The majority occur on messaging apps and social networks. On socials, a profile may mimic the brand that you seek, but you'll often notice subtle differences in spelling or brand marks.

The messages or updates will often use pressure-inducing language such as “limited-time offer”, “exclusive deal” or “free giveaway”.

With the cost of some legitimate weight loss jabs, rose of late, the scammers will price their “product” more cheaply.

“Purchasing from unverified sellers online can come at a serious monetary, medical and psychological toll,” warns the security specialist.

What to do

As with all scams, the old adage applies: should something seem too good to be true, it likely isn't genuine.

Health regulators 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 provided by a healthcare professional, it says. If sourced elsewhere, 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. Should they state to be an internet-based chemist based in Great Britain, it's possible to verify the online portal of the medicines oversight organisation to confirm they are correctly licensed.