11 hours ago
Woman allegedly loses life savings after joining fake FB hiking group, installing suspicious app
A Singaporean woman allegedly lost her life savings after joining a Facebook group for hikers and being instructed to install a suspicious app.
The incident was shared in a 9 June 2025 Facebook post by user Raji Vry, who described the victim as a close friend.
According to the post, the woman had joined a Facebook group named 'Happy Strides', which appeared to be a legitimate platform for hiking enthusiasts.
The administrator of the group, identified as Jamie, allegedly initiated contact with the woman on 7 June.
Jamie instructed her to install an app called Azure Club to create a profile for the hiking community. This guidance reportedly took place over a WhatsApp call.
During the installation, the woman's phone began to lag. Jamie allegedly told her that such behaviour was normal and advised her to let the program run.
The phone temporarily went blank but then returned to normal.
However, the next morning, the woman's debit card was declined while attempting to pay for lunch.
She visited a DBS ATM and discovered only around S$100 remaining in her account.
'She tried to withdraw money from DBS ATM, but there was only about S$100 left in her cash balance,' Vry wrote in her Facebook post.
That was when the woman realised something was amiss.
Large sums had reportedly been siphoned from her accounts, and her digital token had been used for 15 separate purchases to a YouTrip account.
Her transfer limits had allegedly been modified to allow larger transactions, and notifications were muted, making it difficult for her to notice the activity.
In addition, her emails were reportedly compromised.
Both her DBS accounts were emptied.
According to Vry, 'That's her life savings and she was planning to retire.' A police report has since been filed.
Vry warned others on Facebook and Instagram, especially those involved in hiking communities, to remain vigilant.
'Stay alert if you receive any links in your messengers,' she cautioned.
Other Facebook user reports near miss after refusing to share bank details with group admin
Comments on Vry's post included another Facebook user claiming a similar experience.
The user said the group admin asked her for payment details via a link. When she refused, the admin blocked her.
Local media outlet Stomp also covered the incident, reporting that photos used by 'Happy Strides' were taken from other hiking groups.
One image posted on 20 May had originally appeared on the Exploring Singapore Hiking Group page on 15 December 2024.
Legitimate hiking group distances itself, warns members of photo misuse by scam page
In response, the Exploring Singapore Hiking Group issued a clarification on 19 June 2025.
Its administrator accused 'Happy Strides' of using their photos without consent.
'We are NOT associated with 'Happy Strides' in any way.
This is a fraudulent group,' the group stated. They urged their members to be cautious and never to share personal or banking information without verification.
As of 19 June, the 'Happy Strides' Facebook group was no longer accessible.
