Scams

Submitted by Louise Granaham.

It is amazing to be able to use technology to follow races, communicate with teammates, get information about regattas, etc.  Sadly, scammers are also a part of technology.  During the New Zealand 2024 Festival, a number of bogus Facebook pages tried to use our feed and then connect with people who were unaware that this was not from the IBCPC. 

These scams have happened again at the most recent festival in Auckland and at Worlds in Thailand, so there is little doubt that they will happen again in the future. 

 It is important for us to know what to look out for when it comes to scam sites.

 What the IBCPC will not do:

1. We will not post on any site other than our own.  While posts may be shared from our Facebook page, they will always be linked back to our official page. 

2. We will never ask you for your credit card number unless you are on an official site to register for the Festival or to order official IBCPC merchandise.

3. We will never ask for your PIN, or passwords

4. We do not allow anyone other than Meri Gibson or Louise Granahan to post on the IBCPC Facebook page.

5. We do not have an X (formerly Twitter) account. 

6. We do not use any emails other than ones that end in ibcpc.com.

7. We will not be involved in any fundraising campaigns. 

What we will do:

1. We will only collect Festival registration money on the office France 2026 website.

2. Once you have paid your Festival registration fee, there will be no other fees collected from us. 

3. We will only use secure sites.  Look for https in the URL.

4. We will be happy to confirm if a site is legitimate or not.  Just contact us.   

5. We will sell items on our official website shop.  Festival items will be available for sale at the event, and there may be some pre-orders.  Again, check the official websites only. 

What you can do:

1. If you find a bogus post, please report it to Facebook.  Unfortunately, there is little we can do from our end, so reporting it to us does not help much.  The only thing we can do is post a warning about the bogus site.  We cannot take down bogus sites.  Only Facebook can do that. 

2. Make sure you are registering for the Festival on a secure site. 

3. If something looks suspicious, trust your suspicions. 

4. If you accidentally click on something that you shouldn’t have, change your passwords immediately.  Keep a close eye on your bank accounts.  You may want to inform your bank.