Chinese tech major Xiaomi Tuesday warned against fraudulent individuals and agencies who are approaching people claiming to be authorised representatives of the company and soliciting them to set up retail stores for a fee.
These entities pose as authorised Xiaomi representatives and solicit applications to set up Mi Stores, Mi Dealerships or other Xiaomi franchisee stores on payment of an application fee or a processing fee, Xiaomi said.
"After collecting this fee, these individuals become unreachable. They may even collect the payment of stamp duty for the franchise agreement and then send a fraudulent stamped agreement in the name of Xiaomi Technology India with the forged signature and stamp of our managing director," it added.
Xiaomi clarified that it does not contact anyone through calls, e-mails or social media for franchise opportunities, and only accepts applications for potential franchise partners for Mi Stores through its official website.
It added that the company does not demand or receive any application fee or processing fee for the franchise opportunity.
"If any member of the public is contacted through any unknown number/s or receives any e-mail/messages regarding a Mi store/dealership/franchise opportunity, they are advised to treat such communication with caution," Xiaomi said.
It said people can reach out to the company directly or report the matter to the police.
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