Realme's staggering growth in India has brought immense fame to the new brand. The Chinese company recorded a whopping 473 percent growth in 2019 by grabbing 11 percent market share, according to Canalys report. Other reports also show impressive growth for the brand in India in 2019, which has helped Realme rank among the top five. But all that fame isn't without trouble for the ambitious brand.
Realme's skyrocketing popularity has made people want to be associated with the brand more than just buying its phones. It appears there's a high demand for Realme franchise in India, which has the caught the attention of fraudsters as a way to make some quick cash. A fake website with Realme's branding solely for the purpose of franchise partnership has been set up to trick people.
Realme franchise website
If you've come across a dedicated website for Realme franchise partnership, it's a fake one. The fake website has the address: www.realmepartner.in, which sounds legit. Visiting the website shows Realme branding and "BBK Electronice Group" in a big bold banner. There's an option to apply for a Realme franchise store by filling out details like name, phone number and email address.
To make the website appear legit, there is information about Realme with photos of its phones and stores along with a brief intro. The website also says that "Realme is planning to expand its footprint in the country by launching exclusive stores in the second half of 2019." The website also gives the option to become a partner, solution partner, channel partner and service partner.
Fact check
The Realme partner website has many hints suggesting it is a fake. Firstly, there is no "https" security on the site. Then the way Realme branding is done on the site is completely out of place. The website mentions Realme's parent company, which is also misspelt. Finally, the social buttons on the site are not working, which is one of the easiest giveaways for fake websites.
Realme's warning
If the visual cues aren't enough to believe that the website in question is fake, Realme issued a warning in this regard.
"It has come to our notice that someone has created a website www.realmepartner.in asking for franchisee partnerships. We want to officially clarify that this is not owned and operated by realme and we do not take any responsibility of people doing business through this website. In the meantime, we are taking necessary legal action against the owners of the portal," Realme said in a statement.
"Please note that we only have one official website, www.realme.com. All our product information and business partnerships are available on our official website," the company added.
So, if you're interested in getting a Realme franchise partnership, go through the official www.realme.com website.
