Fake 'official subsidy application' scam for new energy vehicles: harvesting personal information and deposits under the guise of national subsidies

Who Gets Targeted

Mainly lower-tier market consumers planning to buy cars during the 2026 policy window, especially middle-aged and older people unfamiliar with online government services, young first-time car buyers, and impatient buyers urged on by 'the subsidy is about to expire' scripts. They generally trust the authority endorsement of 'national subsidies' and let down their guard when they see phrases such as 'government cooperation', 'internal quota', and 'direct manufacturer subsidy'. Their psychological weaknesses are wanting to take advantage of the policy, fearing exclusion from the subsidy quota, and lacking experience in identifying official channels, making it easy for them to hand over materials prepared for a 4S dealership or government platform to unfamiliar 'staff'.

骗局怎么运作

• Step one, broad outreach: Scammers post in bulk through short-video comment sections, car-buying forums, and second-hand trading platforms content such as '2026 New Energy Subsidy Application Guide' and 'Last Batch of Subsidy Quotas', or directly call and text users who recently browsed car purchase information. The scripts are often: 'Hello, this is the New Energy Subsidy Service Center. We see that you qualify for this round of subsidies.'
• Step two, fake official identity: They show forged screenshots of policy documents, imitation government website pages, and fake automaker customer service employee IDs, claiming that subsidies are 'jointly provided directly by manufacturers and finance and can be applied for online'. They use the names of real subsidy policies, such as trade-in subsidies, to increase credibility and make users think this is merely a simplified process.
• Step three, collect personal information: Under the pretext of 'registering for a subsidy quota', they collect ID numbers, bank card numbers, mobile numbers, vehicle identification information, and more, and even require downloading a designated app or clicking a phishing link to 'process it online'. This information is then used for fraudulent online loan applications, precise secondary scams, or data resale.
• Step four, charge upfront fees: In the names of 'taxes must be paid first to activate the subsidy', 'the deposit will be fully refunded after unfreezing', and 'agency service fee', they collect from several hundred to several thousand yuan, promising that it will be refunded or offset after the subsidy arrives, and using sunk-cost psychology to make victims add transfers step by step.
• Step five, escalate harvesting or disappear: Some scams fabricate 'the subsidy quota is frozen and requires recharge to unfreeze' to continue extracting money, while others directly block victims and disband groups after receiving payment. Websites and customer service numbers change shells overnight, then move to the next policy hotspot and start new accounts.

红旗信号（看到这些快跑）

• 🚩 Claiming to be an 'official subsidy' but contacting people through private mobile numbers or personal WeChat, rather than through 400 official customer service or government platform notices;
• 🚩 Requiring deposits, security deposits, handling fees, or taxes before the subsidy can be received; legitimate subsidies are paid directly after approval, with no upfront payment of any kind;
• 🚩 Sending unofficial website links or apps with highly imitative domains that differ in spelling from government or automaker official websites;
• 🚩 Creating urgency: 'limited quota', 'deadline tonight', 'no more subsidies after this round', urging an immediate decision;
• 🚩 Requesting bank card passwords, SMS verification codes, or remote screen-sharing operations unrelated to the subsidy;
• 🚩 So-called 'subsidy documents' are blurry screenshots, lack official seals or document numbers, and cannot be found in official websites.

真实案例

• According to a car-buying anti-fraud roundup article published by Toutiao in June 2026, the 'fake official subsidy' scam was listed as the most widespread new energy scam of 2026. Multiple car owners reported receiving calls from fake 'subsidy service centers'; after paying hundreds of yuan in 'agency fees' as instructed, they were blocked, and the subsidy did not exist.
• According to a common tactic reported by multiple media outlets: After a consumer, A, in a certain place left an online comment inquiring about new energy vehicle subsidies, they received a friend request from someone claiming to be a 'manufacturer subsidy specialist', who sent a forged subsidy application webpage link. A filled in ID and bank card information and paid an 'activation fee'; then the other party disappeared, and the account information was also used for fraudulent loans.
• Referencing the public opinion background of Evergrande Auto as a counterexample: According to a Tencent News report in February 2026, after Evergrande's car-making companies in three locations went bankrupt and liquidated, exposing huge debts and related-party transactions, the topic of 'new energy industry subsidy arbitrage' gained attention. The public became more sensitive to fund flows in the name of new energy, and gray industries also exploited the trend to fabricate fake news such as 'Evergrande internal asset disposal subsidies' to drive traffic and commit fraud.
• In March 2026, a Red Star News investigation disclosed that a salesperson at a GAC Aion 4S dealership fabricated a national subsidy fraud, promising that paying 10,000 yuan could secure a 20,000 yuan car subsidy. More than 40 car owners were defrauded, involving about 500,000 yuan. The owners lost money and missed the real national subsidy application period. (Source: https://news.qq.com/rain/a/20260314A032H000)
• In April 2026, Shanghai Observer disclosed a car purchase leaseback fundraising fraud case. The defendant entity used high daily-settled returns as bait to defraud more than 220 victims across the country of 97 million yuan. After the Shanghai Minhang District People's Procuratorate filed public prosecution, defendant Shi XX was sentenced to 9 years in prison for fundraising fraud. (Source: https://news.qq.com/rain/a/20260402A06N6R00)

Official Stance

• In 2026, CCTV.com News Channel repeatedly reported that Shanghai police handled illegal online accounts related to the auto sector, reminding the public to be wary of online traffic-driving behavior falsely using automakers and official names (CCTV.com report, March 25, 2026).
• The public security organs' 'Clean Net 2026' special action continues to crack down on false online information related to enterprises and people's livelihood. On August 18, 2026, the Cybersecurity Bureau of the Ministry of Public Security announced 14 typical cases, emphasizing that fabricating information in the name of policies or enterprises to drive traffic is illegal (notice by the Cybersecurity Bureau of the Ministry of Public Security).
• The China Internet Joint Rumor Busting Platform has long issued rumor-busting reminders on scams such as 'fake subsidy applications' and 'forged policy documents', reminding people to verify subsidy information based on government official websites and government service apps (relevant 2026 reminder by the China Internet Joint Rumor Busting Platform).

How to Protect Yourself

• ✅ Only check subsidy eligibility through government official websites, the 'National Government Service Platform', or official automaker apps. All proactive calls claiming to be subsidy centers should be hung up, then official customer service should be called back to verify.
• ✅ Remember the 'zero upfront payment' principle for legitimate subsidies. Any request for payment, deposit, or unfreezing fee should be treated as fraud, and operations should be stopped immediately.
• ✅ Do not enter ID numbers, bank card passwords, or SMS verification codes on unfamiliar links or mini-programs, and do not enable screen sharing.
• ✅ Before transferring money, call the local Commerce Bureau, vehicle management office, or local automaker 4S dealership to verify whether the 'subsidy program' actually exists, keep chat records and transfer receipts, and if defrauded, immediately call 110 and the 96110 anti-fraud hotline to report.
• ✅ Help elders in the family set up 'delayed settlement for large transfers' and explain such scam scripts in advance to reduce the chance of family members falling victim.