A woman has been ordered to pay beauty salon Beauti Instinct S$15,000 in damages after publishing Instagram Stories about her experience and saving them under a Highlight titled “SCAM !!”.
In a judgment dated 15 October 2026, District Judge Sim Mei Ling found that former customer Mok Wai Kwan had defamed the company, which operates at Far East Shopping Centre.
The S$15,000 is compensation awarded in a civil lawsuit, not a criminal fine. The court also ordered interest at 5.33% from the judgment date until payment.
Started With a S$488 Facial Package
Mok first purchased a promotional package of six Silk Peel Glow Facial sessions for S$488 in January 2020.
At her first consultation, she was told that she had acne and sensitive skin, and that the treatment could not be performed on its own. She subsequently bought a S$1,000 membership offering treatment credits and discounted rates.
Further purchases followed, including a S$5,000 Gold membership and S$6,624 in promotional packages.
Over time, Mok became dissatisfied with the salon’s sales practices, treatment charges and handling of her remaining credits. After a disagreement over her credits on 13 February 2025, she decided to stop visiting and forgo her remaining treatments.
By then, she had received treatment at the salon on 26 occasions over approximately five years.
Why the Court Found Defamation
Mok began publishing the Instagram Stories on 13 February 2025 and later saved them under the “SCAM !!” Highlight.
She described being trapped by an “unethical business model” and said the salon should be reported to the Consumers Association of Singapore.
The judge found that viewers who saw the Highlight title would understand her to be accusing the salon of running a business designed to cheat or defraud customers.
The court accepted that parts of Mok’s experience were true, including that she had been persuaded to buy a membership after being told she needed additional treatments.
However, Mok had not proved that those statements about her skin and treatment needs were false, or knowingly made falsely.
She also acknowledged that she was not forced to purchase memberships and had benefited from discounted rates.
The judge said businesses should explain prices upfront so customers can make informed choices. However, the evidence did not establish that the salon’s practices were unethical or fraudulent.
Mok’s defence of justification, which required her to prove the substance of her allegations, therefore failed.
Her fair-comment defence also failed. The judge found that the disputed statements were presented as factual assertions, rather than clearly expressed personal opinions.
Salon’s Claim for Lost Business Rejected
The salon sought S$50,000 in general damages, a further 50% uplift and additional compensation for alleged business losses.
In deciding on S$15,000, the judge considered the seriousness of the allegations, their reach and how long they remained accessible.
Instagram analytics showed 401 views from 265 unique accounts. It was unclear how many viewers had actually seen the “SCAM !!” title.
Mok changed the title to “BEWARE!!” on 11 April 2025 and removed the Highlight around 21 July 2025.
The court rejected compensation for alleged lost sales and customers because the salon had not proved that the posts caused those losses. Its sales and customer numbers had already been declining before the posts.
The judge also declined to issue an injunction, finding no evidence that Mok was likely to repeat the defamatory allegations.
