Scammers Use Misleading Social Media Advertising to Dupe Consumers
San Clemente, Calif. (Sept. 15th) — Rudy Project North America customers have been the recent targets of internet scammers. The rise in online shopping and pandemic induced "bike boom" have resulted in an uptick in bicycles and accessories purchased by U.S. consumers. Caught up in this wave is a small number of shoppers who have been lured by sponsored social media posts to imposter sites and pages posing as Rudy Project.
Rudy Project North America (RPNA) would like to advise customers to be vigilant. If an offer seems too good to be true, then it likely is. The scammers have done a fair job emulating RPNA creative, but in all cases, the URLs of the bogus sites have revealed their inauthenticity. The Rudy Project North America website URL is rudyprojectna.com. If North American based customers find themselves on an imposter site with a different URL, then they should not shop there.
Rudy Project North America enforces its MAP policy. The intention is to maintain price and brand transparency across all of RPNA's sales channels. This policy applies to its own site, optical dealers, online partners, Amazon, and network of triathlon, bike, specialty run, and outdoor retailers.
"We take this threat to the Rudy Project brand and our customers very seriously," stated Brad Shapiro, co-owner of Rudy Project North America. "We urge people to be vigilant about sites they shop and refrain from buying from any suspicious site. That goes for our site and any other recognized brand. We have filed complaints and reported scammers, as a means to hamper their activities, but we're unsure at this point how effective we can be short of warning the customer."
All internet shoppers and direct-to-consumer (DTC) brands should be on guard. The escalation of e-commerce and DTC sales since the novel coronavirus lockdowns began has created an additional incentive for online scammers to lure in shoppers. The increased volume of internet sales means scammers can now target a greater number of customers and brands upping their chances for success.
About Rudy Project:
Rudy Project has been crafting the highest quality Italian sport performance sunglasses and prescription eyewear since 1985. Driven by the pursuit of excellence and drawing from years of experience, Rudy Project products elevate the performance of athletes at every level. Founded in Treviso, Italy by Rudy Barbazza, the brand has led the way in sports optics and bike helmet innovation for over thirty-five years.
