Electric Vehicle Dealership Booking Scam
A deal on a popular electric scooter or car asks for a booking amount from a fake dealer or copied site. See how EV buyers lose money before delivery.
Waiting lists for popular electric two-wheelers and cars create a market for fake dealers. An ad or message offers faster delivery or a subsidy-linked discount if a booking amount is paid today. The website copies a real brand and the payment goes to a personal or unrelated account. The vehicle never arrives, or a duplicate receipt is shown at the real showroom, which has no record of the order.
How the scam works
The scammer copies the brand's website and a showroom address, and runs ads that promise delivery in days instead of months. A friendly 'sales executive' sends a brochure and a price list with a subsidy discount. The buyer is invited to pay a booking amount through a link or a UPI ID and receives a polished receipt, often with a booking number that looks real.
More payments are asked in steps: registration, insurance, accessories and 'subsidy processing'. Each carries a reason and a deadline, such as the end of an offer or a price rise next week. Buyers who are excited about a long-awaited vehicle seldom check the beneficiary's name. Some scammers also send a fake delivery date and a 'tracking' page to show that the vehicle is on its way.
The payoff is the booking amount and the fees, which can be tens of thousands of rupees. The delay is explained by a 'factory issue', then the executive goes silent. When the buyer visits the real showroom, there is no order, and the seller's number is off. Because the payment was made by UPI to a personal account, it is hard to reverse once the money is moved.
An example of what you may see
Example message (invented): 'Sir, immediate delivery of the electric scooter you wanted, no waiting list! Special price Rs 1,05,000 with subsidy. Pay Rs 10,000 booking amount on this link today and Rs 6,500 for registration and insurance tomorrow. Offer closes tonight at 9 pm. Your booking receipt is attached.' The link opens a page with the brand logo, but the address differs from the official website and the payee name is a person.
This example is written for illustration. Real messages change their wording, names and links all the time.
Red flags
- Immediate delivery of a vehicle with a long waiting list.
- A booking amount sent to a personal account or an unfamiliar payee name.
- A website address that is slightly different from the brand's official one.
- A discount or subsidy that expires tonight.
- A receipt with no dealership name, address or GST details.
- A tracking page for a vehicle that has not been invoiced.
What to do right now
- Visit the real showroom or book through the brand's official website typed by hand.
- Check the payee name before paying, and pay only to the brand or dealer's business account.
- Ask the dealership to confirm the booking in its own system.
- Do not trust a receipt alone. Ask for an invoice and check the dealer's authorisation.
- Report a fake page or ad to the platform.
If you already paid or shared a code
- Call 1930 and report at cybercrime.gov.in with the website, chats and payment ids.
- Tell your bank on the number printed on your card and ask about holding the transfer.
- Inform the brand's official support so it can take action against the fake site.
- File a written complaint at the police station with the receipt and chat.
National Cyber Crime Helpline: 1930. Report online at cybercrime.gov.in. Do it fast: the sooner your bank is told, the better the chance that money can be held.
Where this scam shows up
Read how it looks on each channel:
How Safeavio helps
Safeavio's link check can look at the booking page link you paste and warn about lookalike domains, the QR check shows where a payment QR goes before you pay, and the scam check marks the immediate-delivery promise and the tonight-only offer. It cannot verify a dealership's authorisation, so confirm the booking with the brand directly. Always confirm with the showroom.
Check it before you tap or pay
Safeavio Sentinel is a made-in-India Android app: paste a message or link, or scan a QR code, and get a plain verdict with the reasons. It helps you spot a scam; it does not promise to stop every one.
Download for AndroidWhat the app does
Google Play listing: coming soon. Today the signed APK is on safeavio.com/download. Android 7.0 or later.
Questions people ask
How can I check an EV dealer?
Find the dealer on the brand's official website, visit the showroom and confirm the booking in its system. Pay only to an account in the business name that matches the receipt. A quick call to the real showroom settles most doubts.
Is a booking receipt proof of a real order?
Not by itself. A receipt can be easily copied. Ask the showroom to confirm the booking number and ask for an invoice when the vehicle is allotted. Only the showroom's own system can confirm an order.
Do subsidies need a payment to a dealer?
Subsidies are handled under official rules, not through a private payment to a dealer for 'processing'. Check the official scheme page or the brand's showroom before you pay for any subsidy. Ask the showroom whether any incentive applies before you pay anyone.