Giant Is “Aware” of Fake Website. Are Consumers?
A fraudulent website mimicking Giant Bicycle’s U.S. domain is on the company’s radar, and it has started the process of getting it taken down. According to a report in Bicycle Retailer and Industry News, Giant’s global legal team in Taiwan is working with the Federal Trade Commission to address this online scam.
Allen Needle, Giant’s risk manager, said that while he isn’t aware that any consumers have been scammed by the fake website, he “can’t be sure that no consumer has been affected.”
“It has an effect on our brand and reputation, so even if someone hasn’t put out their cash for this, it is something we take very seriously,” Needle told BRAIN. “This is a problem for the entire industry. Everybody faces some level of this.”
In the last year alone, several major cycling brands have been targeted by scammers with fake websites impersonating the real deal. According to Bicycle Retailer and Industry News, brands like Shimano, SRAM, and Chris King are among those whose customers have been targeted with promises of deals that seem too good to be true.
A deal that seems like an impossible steal is one of the first clues that a would-be customer should be on the lookout for before keying in their payment information, Needle says. In fact, that’s one of their glaringly suspect aspects of the fake Giant website: it only accepts payment in the form of “Zelle, cryptocurrency, cash app, or ‘bankwire’ transfer.” So, no credit card payment option is available—a huge red flag.
Another tell is the overall professionalism of the website itself, or rather, the lack thereof. “These websites usually don’t have a good flow and don’t work very well,” Needle said.
Other things to look out for when assessing whether or not a website is legit include the availability of contact information, a secure connection, a legitimate URL without typos, customer reviews that seem genuine and real, and clear privacy policies and terms of service. These are all things that a genuine website will have, according to Needle, and their absence should be a glaring “buyer beware” sign.
“With awareness comes the ability to differentiate between a fraudulent website and legitimate sites,” Needle said.
One absolutely surefire and fool proof way to avoid internet scams is of course to support and shop at an actual bike shop who is an authorized retailer for whatever brand you’re looking to buy. Supporting a small business while also protecting yourself against being ripped off by internet scammers is always a good deal.
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