Hackers Have Begun Blocking Chinese-made Cars Owned By Russians On A Massive Scale

They change passwords and demand money to restore access.

Russian owners of Chinese Li Auto (Lixiang) vehicles are experiencing widespread account hacks that allow remote control of the car's functions. Hackers are changing passwords and demanding money to restore access. This was reported by Autonews was reported by Alexander Rasskazov, co-founder of the Li Auto owners’ club in Russia and the CIS countries. After an account is hacked, the car’s screens go blank, and the owner loses access to most features, including climate control. In some cases, it is not even possible to start the car.

The problem affects only cars imported through parallel import channels. These vehicles are registered using a Chinese license plate number, which buyers in Russia obtain through intermediaries. According to Rasskazov, scammers use fake passports to reactivate Chinese phone numbers with service providers, to which the cars’ accounts are linked.

So far, 20 victims of the scam have been identified. The scammers demanded up to 250,000 rubles from their victims. “This is no longer a one-off case of extortion, but a mass operation designed for volume,” explained Rasskazov. Sinomach Auto, the Russian distributor for Li Auto, noted that the manufacturer will address the issues that have arisen, and Chinese specialists are working on the reports received.

The Li Auto owners’ club recommends that owners register their Chinese license plates themselves, enable two-factor authentication, and link an email address to their account. If the license plate was registered through an intermediary, the password should be changed immediately after receiving the car. If access is lost, it can be restored through the provider. This is a costly and time-consuming procedure.

In May 2025, the Chinese manufacturer Li Auto and its Russian distributor, Sinomach Auto, announced measures to combat parallel imports. One of the measures discussed was the remote blocking of multimedia systems in cars imported into Russia unofficially. A Sinomach representative, Lev Lazarev, warned that this could completely disable the vehicle, since its main functions are controlled via touchscreens. So far, no decision has been made to impose such restrictions.

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