7 New Year Fitness Scams To Look Out For

January is the peak season for self-improvement. Following the festive period of indulgence, millions of people find themselves motivated by the “fresh start effect,” a psychological phenomenon that makes the new year feel like a clean slate for aspirational goals.

Gym attendance typically spikes by nearly 30% during this month and app stores are flooded with downloads for calorie counters and habit trackers.

However, this surge in motivation creates a “perfect storm” for cybercriminals. Scammers recognize that in the rush to secure a discounted membership or a “miracle” training plan, consumers often lower their digital defences. Urgency, high emotion and the desire for quick results make January a prime hunting season for fraudsters.

Marijus Briedis, Chief Technology Officer at NordVPN, explains the danger: “The New Year fitness rush creates the perfect environment for scams, because people are often signing up quickly without taking the time to check who they’re dealing with. Gym offers or training plans that rely on urgency, extreme discounts or pressure to ‘sign up today’ should be treated with caution.”

Here are seven of the most prevalent fitness scams to watch out for this year.

1. Cloned Gym Websites and “January-Only” Deals

One of the most effective tactics involves “lookalike” or cloned websites. Fraudsters create sites that are nearly identical to well-known gym chains, complete with stolen logos and branding. These sites often appear at the top of search results as sponsored ads, luring victims with heavily discounted annual memberships or “zero joining fee” offers.

Once a user enters their payment details, they aren’t just losing the initial fee; their sensitive credit card information is often harvested for future fraudulent transactions. Briedis warns: “It’s far safer to go directly to the official website or app, rather than following a link in a social media message or unsolicited email.”

2. The “Ghost” Personal Trainer

Social media is a major vector for personal trainer scams. Fraudulent accounts often use stolen “before and after” photos and fake testimonials to build an image of a successful coach. These scammers target users through direct messages, offering bespoke one-to-one coaching for a flat fee.

After the payment is made via non-reversible methods like bank transfers or apps, the “trainer” typically disappears or sends generic, copy-pasted content. “Be warned as well that the likes of GrokAI and even ChatGPT are capable of editing photos to bulk out muscles, or even create deepfake clients for fake PTs to use,” NordVPN experts note.

3. Data-Hungry “Lite” Apps

Not every scam is designed to steal money immediately. Many free fitness apps – such as water trackers, simple step counters, or calorie calculators – are designed primarily to harvest vast amounts of personal and lifestyle data. These apps may request excessive permissions, such as access to your precise location history, contacts, or camera.

This data is often poorly secured and can be sold to third parties or exposed in breaches. If leaked, the information can be used for highly targeted phishing or identity theft. Briedis advises users to “review app permissions carefully and deny access to data that isn’t essential.”

4. Lookalike Apps and Malware

Cybercriminals often release copycat apps on third-party stores (and occasionally sneak them onto official ones) that mimic popular fitness brands. These apps are designed to harvest login credentials. If you use the same password for your fitness app as you do for your email or bank account, a single “fake download” can compromise your entire digital life. Some of these malicious apps may also contain spyware designed to monitor your device activity.

5. Phishing and “Payment Failed” Alerts

Once you have signed up for a legitimate service, you may receive a highly personalized phishing email claiming there is a problem with your subscription or payment. These emails create a sense of panic, urging you to “update your details” to avoid losing access to the gym.

These links lead to fake login pages. If your data from a previous health service leak is already on the dark web, scammers can make these emails look incredibly convincing by using your real name and mentioning the specific gym you use.

6. The “Silent” Subscription Trap

Many legitimate-looking apps offer a “7-day free trial.” While not always illegal, many of these are designed with deceptive terms buried in the small print. Once the trial ends, users are automatically rolled into expensive annual or monthly contracts that are intentionally difficult to cancel.

In more extreme cases, these apps offer no real service at all and simply continue to drain a user’s bank account until the card is cancelled. Monitoring bank statements for unexpected charges is crucial during the first few months of the year.

7. Oversharing Location and Routines

Many fitness platforms encourage a “social” element, where users post their running routes or workout schedules. If your privacy settings are weak, this data reveals exactly when you are away from home and what your daily habits are.

“Fitness data can reveal routines, habits and personal details that criminals find valuable,” says Briedis. Sharing less information and tightening privacy settings can prevent this data from being used for social engineering or physical criminal activity.

Conclusion: How to Stay Safe

To avoid falling victim to these seasonal traps, the key is to slow down. Scammers rely on the “all-or-nothing” rush of a new resolution to bypass your logic.

Always verify the source of an offer, use strong and unique passwords for every account and be wary of any app that asks for more data than it needs to function. As Marijus Briedis concludes: “Slowing down, sharing less information and taking basic digital security steps can make a real difference in protecting both your money and your privacy.”

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