The owners of eco-tourism business PedalBoro in Peterborough, Ont., say a Facebook page hack is the latest obstacle as they rebound a two-year hiatus.
PedalBoro offers rentals of a 15-seat party bike for tours of the city’s downtown 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.
On Monday owners Hillary Flood and Pete Rellinger said on July 1 they had been removed as administrators of their PedalBoro business page on Facebook and replaced by unknown users.
They believe the hack occurred while they were participating as a float entry in the city’s downtown Canada Day parade.
It’s a major cause for concern since the Facebook page is often a key site for clients, Rellinger says, noting the page had more than 1,000 followers.
“A large portion of PedalBoro clients contact us through our Facebook Page Messenger to learn more about party-bike tours,” he stated. “We feel it’s our duty to get the word out to avoid any more harm now that our Facebook page has been compromised.”
Rellinger is advising 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.com. We do not accept e-transfers,” he said.
The owners say have contacted the Peterborough Police Service and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre to assist in the investigation.
Both owners are working to get the page deleted from the Facebook platform but say it is a challenge since the social network relies on automation systems for community standards reporting. They’ve endured a number of chatbots, forums and frequently asked question pages.
“We have built a lot of trust in the Peterborough community,” said Flood. “We worked hard for that trust and value it more than anything. Of course, we are devastated to lose such a vital outreach channel but until we can get our PedalBoro Facebook page taken down, the most important thing we can do is get the word out and hope that 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, however long it may take.”
The company still maintains an Instagram account.