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You've come across so much about people using weight loss injections to lose weight, you feel it is time to try them out ahead of the holiday period. However, the issue lies in cost.

But it seems there are other options rather than obtaining a doctor's script and going to the chemist. An SMS arrives providing a URL to a website with much cheaper medication – and with no necessity to navigate official channels. And you saw a similar ad on social media the other day, so you decide to go for it.

The problem is these ads are highly likely to be scams. In the best-case scenario, you'll receive no product and forfeit whatever money you paid. In the worst, you obtain a counterfeit item, with unknown ingredients that could lead to severe health problems.

The widespread use of authentic weight loss medications has resulted in a rise in counterfeit products hitting the market and scams set up to merely steal people’s money.

Health authorities have warned against buying such unlawful weight loss medicines without a prescription from beauty salons, bogus online chemists or via digital platforms, saying they might include “toxins and additional components which may provoke genuine injury”.

Recent statistics from a major retail bank show a sharp rise in the quantity of clients who have been impacted by the scam. The bank says, the amount of money stolen through scams related to weight loss injections, pens, pills and lipid-reducing solutions between July and September , was over twice the total sum lost in the previous three months. The average scam sets back sufferers £120, it says.

“Scammers are deliberately targeting people’s insecurities and medical worries, with such frauds 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 media. Across platforms, an account may mimic the brand that you are looking for, but there will typically be slight variations in spelling or logos.

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

With the cost of certain authentic weight loss jabs, has increased recently, the fraudsters will set the cost of their “product” more cheaply.

“Buying from unverified sellers on the internet can entail a significant financial, medical and psychological toll,” warns the security specialist.

What to do

Like any deceptive scheme, the wise saying applies: should something seem too good to be true, it likely isn't genuine.

Medical authorities have cautioned people to be highly vigilant when purchasing medications online. These products must only be obtained from a registered pharmacy with a valid script provided by a healthcare professional, it says. If sourced elsewhere, they can present significant dangers to health.

Criminals can expend considerable effort to make their site or social media page appear completely genuine. If they claim to be an internet-based chemist based in the UK, it's possible to verify the website of the medicines oversight organisation to ensure they are properly registered.