VOLUNTARY worker Astrid Smith, who lives in Alton, got a shock one morning last month when at 7.30am she got a text telling her she had signed up to a fitness app and that, after a 24-hour free session, she would be charged £3 per week – to be paid through her phone bill – because she was now one of their clients.

Fitness Get Fit stated that she had signed up for the course by clicking onto their pop-up advert when it appeared on her computer.

“I had never heard of them,” Ms Smith told the Herald. “I certainly did not click onto their advert or app and I was very worried when I got the text message.”

She was so worried that she contacted the police, Action Fraud and Pay Pals, fearing the £3 weekly charge had been added to her phone bill for nearly four weeks, as it was stated she had signed up at the end of May.

Fortunately she acted swiftly, and after contacting Fitness Get Fit they immediately “de-registered her”.

PM Connect set up the web network onto which companies like EE place apps so customers can click onto a range of pop-up adverts offering different services.

Ms Smith, whose Sony phone is serviced by Virgin, said: “I didn’t know until I got the text message this morning and I acted quickly, but what if it had been an elderly or confused person who didn’t understand, they would have ended up paying for something they didn’t want.”

Fitness Get Fit said Ms Smith had signed up on May 31 and had been given a 24-hour free starter session before beginning the full course. After she contacted them that morning they had de-registered her and she and not had to pay any money.

A spokesman for PM Connect denied they had got Ms Smith’s phone number through her phone company.

“She was able to access the fitness course apps through her sim card and clicked onto it and when you do it tells you to go to the next page. That is when you put your number in showing you have accepted the course.

“The only way the fitness company would have got her number is by her clicking onto their app and payment would be made through direct carrier billing from her phone.”

He added that Fitness Get Fit, like the other advertisers, had a direct number clients could ring, plus a helpline number if they were worried.