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You've heard and read a great deal regarding the use of weight loss injections to get slim, it feels like the moment has come to try them out ahead of the holiday period. The problem is cost.

Yet it appears alternatives exist rather than obtaining a doctor's script and visiting the chemist. An SMS comes through providing a URL to a site with much cheaper drugs – and requiring no necessity to navigate proper procedures. And you saw a similar ad on online platforms the other day, prompting you to take the plunge.

The catch is such promotions are almost certainly fraudulent schemes. In the best-case scenario, you will be sent no product and lose whatever money you spent. In the worst, you obtain a fake version, with unknown ingredients that could lead to severe health problems.

The popularity of legitimate weight loss medications has led to a increase in counterfeit products hitting the market and scams set up to simply take people’s money.

Health authorities have warned against purchasing such unlawful weight loss medicines absent a doctor's order from beauty salons, fake pharmacy websites or through social media, stating they might include “toxins and other ingredients that could cause real harm”.

New figures from a major retail bank reveal a significant surge in the number of clients who have been affected by the scam. The bank says, the amount of money lost to scams related to weight loss injections, injector pens, tablets and fat-dissolving products between July and September , was more than double the overall amount lost in the previous three months. The average scam sets back sufferers £120, it says.

“Scammers are deliberately targeting individuals' self-doubts and medical worries, with these scams soaring in the past few months,” notes a bank’s head of fraud.

What it looks like

Most take place on messaging apps and social networks. Across platforms, a profile may mimic the brand that you are looking for, but you'll often notice slight variations in text or brand marks.

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

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

“Buying from unapproved vendors on the internet can entail a serious financial, health-related and psychological toll,” warns the security specialist.

What to do

Like any deceptive scheme, the old adage applies: if it appears overly advantageous, 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 provided by a medical practitioner, they advise. When procured from other sources, they can present serious risks to health.

Fraudsters can go to great lengths to make their site or online profile appear completely genuine. Should they state to be an internet-based chemist based in Great Britain, it's possible to verify the website of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to confirm this is correctly licensed.