Audi China said in a statement on its official Weibo and WeChat accounts on November 9 that fraudsters had recently impersonated "Audi (China) Enterprise Management Co., Ltd." and related regulators to send fake recall text messages to some owners, using unofficial links to trick them into providing personal information or going through supposed recall procedures. Audi China said the messages and attached documents were not official recall notices issued by the company.
The case is not isolated. On November 6, BYD's anti-counterfeiting office warned that forged "vehicle recall notices" bearing the company's logo were circulating, using lines such as "contact us within two hours" and "warranty void if overdue" to pressure owners into clicking phishing sites, scanning QR codes or handing over bank card numbers and verification codes. Toyota, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen, Li Auto, SAIC-GM, Volvo and Nissan have also issued similar alerts urging owners to stay vigilant.
The Shenzhen anti-fraud centre said a genuine recall means free repairs and replacement parts and would never ask consumers to test bank accounts or transfer money first; anyone citing "compensation" and asking users to install an app or share their screen is running a scam, and such messages should be blocked, deleted and reported on 96110. Audi China advised owners to verify recall information through the official website of the State Administration for Market Regulation's defective product recall centre or authorised channels.