Fitness fraud: gym goers warned over fake deals on memberships and personal trainers | Scams
A. new year means a new beginning; It’s time to get in shape and there are plenty of opportunities in the market. You see on Facebook that a local gym is advertising a discount on membership if you sign up within the next few hours. There are limited places available, so act quickly.
However, after you pay, you realize the ad is a fraud: You have not received your membership details and when you contact the gym there is no record of your payment.
The scam is one of many fitness-based scams that criminals focus on in January, when people look to trim their waistlines or improve their health.
Others include non-existent personal trainers offering “bespoke” training plans copied from free sites, or fake fitness apps that merely collect users’ data.
Criminals often copy real ads or sites from legitimate businesses, says Marijus Briedis, chief technology officer of cybersecurity company NordVPN.
Although the web address may have several different characters, it can be difficult to distinguish between a real and a fake one. Criminals may also use sponsored results in search engines, so that when you search online you will be presented with fake sites.
“The new year’s fitness rush creates the perfect environment for scams, as people sign up quickly, often without taking the time to check who they’re dealing with,” says Briedis.
“Gym offers or training plans that rely on urgency, excessive discounts or ‘sign up today’ pressure should be treated with caution, especially if they have limited contact information or lack independent reviews.”
NordVPN warns that freely available AI technologies mean images can be manipulated to make muscles look fuller in order to lure people with success stories.
How to spot a sports scam
The first part of the scam is usually an ad on social media. They might promise a cheap gym membership with a special offer for January, or they might have a personal trainer offering you a bespoke regime to get you started.
A sense of urgency is often added to advertising; for example, only a certain number of spaces are left at the advertised price or the offer is valid for a very limited time. This is a typical tactic used by scammers to encourage people to react without fully considering the purchase.
Briedis says if you give your bank information, criminals will take the payment you’re expecting and then store it to use in a future scam. The tactics are similar to a similar strategy in which people were promised discounted holidays and then stolen their money.
“The first target is money. If they cannot meet the money target, the second part is about data.” [and to] Gather as much information as possible,” says Briedis.
What to do about it
If you click on a link, pay close attention to the address of the website you arrive at. Although they may look similar, usually one or more letters will differ from a legitimate site. For example, scammers can use zero instead of the letter O.
Better yet, “avoid clicking links in unsolicited emails or social media messages claiming to be from gyms or fitness brands,” says Briedis. “If there is an issue with membership or subscription, it is much safer to go directly to the official website or app rather than following a link.”
Be wary of anyone requesting payment via bank transfer; This means you won’t be able to use the section 75 protections that come with using credit cards.
If you think you have been defrauded, contact your bank immediately. Then contact Action Fraud, the hub for fraud and online crime.
