Charging Pile Crowdfunding Dividend Scam: Using New Energy Power Generation as a Pretext for Financial Fraud and Absconding

Who Gets Targeted

Victims are primarily middle-aged and elderly individuals aged 45 to 65 with idle capital, as well as micro-investors and office workers attracted by the new energy trend. They generally lack common sense regarding the operational returns of charging piles and are easily convinced that physical offline equipment equates to a safe asset. They are also driven by greed, enticed by promises of fixed high dividends, state subsidies, and the green economy. Some are recruited by friends and family; their guard is lowered by personal connections and on-site signings, and they often increase their investment after receiving small initial rebates.

骗局怎么运作

• Packaging projects with government endorsements: Scammers register companies with names containing terms like 'Green Energy,' 'New Energy,' or 'Shared,' and forge charging pile procurement contracts, site agreements, and NDRC filing documents. They claim to cooperate with state-owned enterprises or local governments, framing the project as part of the national 'Dual Carbon' strategy to make investors believe it is backed by policy.
• Locking in greed with high-yield dividends: Crowdfunding at tens of thousands of yuan per pile, they promise annualized returns of over 14%, sometimes even offering daily rebates or claiming a 1% daily return. Sales staff emphasize that the piles are located in prime spots like shopping malls, residential complexes, and highway service areas, promising stable power generation revenue, and use Excel or Apps to display virtual profit curves.
• Using 'Yin-Yang' contracts to blur liability: Investors do not directly own the charging pile assets but sign entrusted operation or crowdfunding agreements. Contracts use terms like 'expected returns' or 'partners' instead of 'guaranteed principal and interest' to avoid the classification of illegal fundraising. Funds are transferred to personal accounts or shell company accounts, decoupling the capital flow from the actual construction of charging piles.
• Using funds from new investors to pay dividends to earlier ones: Platforms provide scheduled rebates in the short term to create a sense of reality, inducing initial investors to show off their earnings and recruit friends and family. In reality, there is no corresponding charging pile operating income; all early dividends come from new capital, a classic Ponzi scheme.
• Upgrading the 'lock-up' and absconding script: When new capital is insufficient to pay dividends, platforms delay withdrawals citing system upgrades, 180-day anti-money laundering audits, or account anomalies, demanding additional deposits or the recruitment of new members to unlock funds. Core personnel then deregister the company, disband WeChat groups, and change office locations, with some executives fleeing directly.

红旗信号（看到这些快跑）

• 🚩 Promising a fixed annualized return of over 10%, far exceeding the normal range for bank wealth management products and bonds.
• 🚩 Claiming cooperation with national 'Dual Carbon' policies or local governments, but failing to provide official stamped project approval or filing documents.
• 🚩 The contract entity does not match the recipient of funds; money is transferred to personal accounts or non-project company accounts.
• 🚩 Lack of independently verifiable charging pile installation addresses and electricity settlement invoices; profit data in the App cannot be reconciled with power grid data.
• 🚩 Encouraging the recruitment of others, offering extra referral rebates or upgrading partner levels, exhibiting characteristics of multi-level marketing.

真实案例

• Taiwan Huaxun Green Energy Case: Raised over 190 million TWD under the guise of investing in charging piles, promising a guaranteed 14.08% annualized return. They recruited through franchise exhibitions; the president absconded, the CEO and other executives were detained, and hundreds of investors were victimized.
• A gang in mainland China illegally absorbed over 1.1 billion RMB in public deposits under the pretext of investing in charging piles, involving a large number of people, as reported by Guangming Online in 2025.
• A charging pile scam in Beijing involved 200 million RMB in funds. Executives squandered the money, affecting approximately 6,000 people, as reported by the Beijing Daily client in 2023.

Official Stance

• The Tongling Municipal People's Government Information Disclosure Network published a case study in 2025, revealing common tactics in new energy charging pile investment scams and warning the public to be wary of high-interest dividends.
• The Guangzhou Huadu District Bureau of Commerce issued a warning, stating that illegal fundraising traps have appeared in the new energy charging pile sector and advising the public to verify project filings and operational qualifications.
• Xinhua News Agency reported on August 25, 2025, that scammers are targeting the new energy vehicle trend, reminding investors to verify the actual number of installed charging piles and revenue flow.

How to Protect Yourself

• ✅ Verify the authenticity of the enterprise entity and the project by checking the credit publicity system for equity structure, administrative penalties, and business anomaly records. Additionally, record the charging pile serial number and electricity meter account number for verification.
• ✅ Require the other party to provide power grid settlement statements, charging pile installation acceptance reports, and invoices filed with tax authorities; reject verbal promises and vague contracts.
• ✅ Consult local financial regulatory authorities or the economic investigation department of the public security bureau before investing to confirm if the project is suspected of illegal fundraising.
• ✅ Firmly refuse to participate in crowdfunding or franchise projects that involve recruiting others or multi-level rebates, and do not transfer money to personal accounts.