Fake BYD Website Offers C$41,900 EV in Canada — Here's How to Spot the Scam

A fraudulent website impersonating BYD Canada is advertising an Atto 3 electric vehicle for $41,900 and directing prospective buyers to pay by direct bank transfer, according to a warning video published by EV YouTuber Simply Gregster EV on November 10, 2026. BYD Canada has issued a public caution that "unauthorized websites or accounts online may falsely claim to be affiliated with or authorized by BYD Canada."

How the fake storefront works

The site listed the BYD Atto 3 alongside charging accessories — a flash charging station at $15,000, a Blade battery at $5,000, and a home wall charger at $3,000. When a buyer adds the Atto 3 to the cart and proceeds to checkout, the site requests name and billing details, then instructs payment via direct bank transfer using an Order ID as the reference. No credit card processing, no secure gateway, no escrow.

Gregster identified several red flags in minutes:

• The WhatsApp contact number used a Turkish +90 country code, not a Canadian number
• The listed address was in Hong Kong, which traced back to an actual BYD dealership
• The checkout form defaulted to United States billing with state and ZIP code fields
• The promotional copy included the awkward phrase "every model coming to Canadian" — a grammatical error inconsistent with a legitimate manufacturer site

Why it matters for Canadian EV buyers

The scam exploits the surge of interest in Chinese-made EVs entering the Canadian market under the federal tariff-quota framework. BYD vehicles have been spotted road-testing in Canada, and a BYD Sealion was recently photographed on Highway 407 with manufacturer plates, fueling speculation about a near-term launch. Scammers are capitalizing on that anticipation before any official Canadian launch has been confirmed.

Gregster also noted a second, related site that requested credit card information plus a $1,000 reservation deposit — that site had already disappeared by the time of recording.

What to do if you've encountered a suspicious site

BYD Canada's official contact information uses an email ending in @byd.com and lists a North York, Ontario office. Any site that asks for a bank transfer, uses a non-Canadian phone number, or defaults billing to a different country should be treated as fraudulent. The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (1-888-495-8477) accepts reports of online vehicle purchase scams.

Vehicles entering Canada must meet Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Regulations before they are road-legal. No legitimate Canadian dealer can sell a new vehicle outside established dealer channels, and no manufacturer sells directly to consumers by bank wire.

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