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Man asks for advice after wife loses S$3,500 in alleged personal trainer scam

A man in Singapore has turned to Reddit for advice after his wife, who recently gave birth, lost thousands of dollars to a personal trainer who allegedly scams new mothers and the elderly.

In a post on r/askSingapore on 6 Sept, the man recounted how his wife, who was looking for post-pregnancy recovery, engaged a personal trainer through the home and professional services platform StringsSG.

The trainer, who presented himself as a specialist for new mums, appeared professional during the first trial session.

Personal trainer scam targeting new moms & elderly in SG – advice needed byu/BooBoo-is-God inaskSingapore

He then offered a “discounted” six-month package — comprising of 70 sessions for $3,500 — which the original poster’s (OP) wife paid upfront.

However, the red flags soon appeared.

The trainer allegedly showed up for only two sessions before repeatedly making last minute cancellations.

Another elderly resident at the couple’s condominium who reportedly signed up with the same trainer faced similar issues.

“This went on for two months until my wife asked for a refund. He kept delaying and making excuses,” added the OP.

Discovered Facebook post describing same scam

Things escalated when the new mum found a Facebook post describing the same scam.

She was later added to a WhatsApp group of more than 15 victims, all young mothers and elderly clients.

These clients allegedly lost between S$500 to S$3,500 each.

Some victims reportedly made police reports, but were supposedly told the matter was a “civil case” since payments had already been made upfront.

Source: Google Maps

Three of them, including the OP’s wife, then filed claims with the Small Claims Tribunal.

The victims have been left in limbo since, as the trainer allegedly ignored the summons.

In his Reddit post, the frustrated husband questioned why the system seemed powerless in such cases.

He then asked if anyone had successfully recovered funds in similar situations and what further steps could be taken.

“It’s not just about the money,” he wrote.

“This guy is actively preying on young mothers and the elderly. We really don’t want him to keep getting away with this.”

Netizens weigh in with suggestions to nab “scammer”

The post has since drawn responses from netizens suggesting various ways to hold the personal trainer accountable.

A netizen suggested that all the victims should make a police report together.

Source: Reddit

Another commenter told the OP to post the incident on social media and alert the mainstream media to raise awareness.

Source: Reddit

Meanwhile, one Redditor asked the OP whether his wife had filed for an enforcement order, which would allow a bailiff to seize and sell the debtor’s property to repay the debt.

Source: Reddit

Another netizen felt that the real red flags were the low rates and the high frequency of the sessions.

They also suggested alerting StringsSG to have the personal trainer banned.

Source: Reddit

MS News has reached out to the OP for more information.

Also read: Commuter suspects scam after being approached by ‘migrant worker’ at Boon Keng MRT station

Commuter suspects scam after being approached by ‘migrant worker’ at Boon Keng MRT station

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