The owners of the PedalBoro ecotourism company in Peterborough, Ontario, say the hack of a Facebook page is the latest hurdle as they recover from a two-year hiatus.
PedalBoro offers 15-seat party bike rentals for tours of the city center with stops at restaurants and pubs. The company, which launched in mid-July 2019, recently relaunched after being closed for the past two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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On Monday, owners Hillary Flood and Pete Rellinger said on July 1 that they had been removed as administrators of their PedalBoro Facebook business page and replaced by unknown users.
They believe the hack occurred while they were participating as floats in the Canada Day parade downtown.
It’s a major cause for concern, since the Facebook page is often a hotspot for customers, says Rellinger, noting that the page had more than 1,000 followers.
“A large portion of PedalBoro customers contact us via our Facebook Messenger page for more information on party bike tours,” he stated. “We feel it is our duty to spread the word to prevent further damage now that our Facebook page has been compromised.”
Rellinger advises the public not to engage with PedalBoro on Facebook or Facebook Messenger.
“The only way to book a tour is through our website www.pedalboro.es. We do not accept wire transfers,” she said.
The owners say they have contacted the Peterborough Police Service and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Center to assist in the investigation.
PedalBoro co-owner Pete Rellinger is warning people that the company’s Facebook page has been hacked.
facebook screenshot
Both owners are working to remove the page from the Facebook platform, but say it’s a challenge as the social network relies on automation systems to report on community standards. They have supported a number of chatbots, forums, and FAQ pages.
“We’ve built a lot of trust in the Peterborough community,” Flood said. “We work hard for that trust and we value it more than anything. Of course, we are devastated to lose such a vital outreach channel, but until we can take down our PedalBoro Facebook page, the most important thing we can do is spread the word and hope no one gets scammed by our own business page. This is our brand, our name, and we will not stop until this issue is resolved, no matter how long it takes.”
The company still maintains an Instagram account.
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