DVLA Issues A Scam Alert To Motorists
Wednesday, 13. May 2020
- DVLA has recorded a 20% rise in the number of scams reported
- These are all cons linked to DVLA services, such as vehicle taxation
- Some 1,538 fraud cases were raised to the agency in the final 3 months of 2019
- It provided examples of common scams that have been used in recent months
Motorists are being targeted by fraudsters using a range of different scam tactics in a bid to trick them into handing over money.
That’s according to a fresh warning by the DVLA last February, which has provided examples of scams it has been alerted to and traced in recent months.
There has been a 20 per cent rise in fraud attempts handed to the DVLA, with 1,538 reports made to agency in the last three months of 2019, new figures show.
Car owners have alerted the DVLA to a number of different con tactics being employed by scam artists.
Motorists have said they have been swindled out of money and targeted by fraudsters using fake DVLA websites, emails, texts and social media messages.
It has warned drivers that these are becoming more prominent, having received 1,275 scam reports in the final three months of 2018 – some 263 fewer than in the final quarter of last year.
To raise awareness of the types of fraudulent communication motorists might receive, the DVLA has released images of recent scams it has been alerted to.
It hopes this will help motorists be aware of what to look out for and issue a clear warning that if something offered online or by text message appears too good to be true, then it almost certainly is.
Scammers are targeting unsuspecting customers with links to services that don’t exist and messages of tax refunds, all of which are fake.
The reports also show that driver and vehicle documents are for sale on the internet.
The agency says anyone who is concerned about any calls, texts, emails or suspicious activity online, to always report these to the police via Action Fraud immediately.
DVLA chief information security officer David Pope said: ‘We’ve released examples of real life scams to help motorists understand when a scam is at work.
‘These websites and messages are designed to trick people into believing they can access services that simply don’t exist such as removing penalty points from driving licences.
‘All our tax refunds are generated automatically after a motorist has told us they have sold, scrapped or transferred their vehicle to someone else so we don’t ask for anyone to get in touch with us to claim their refund.
‘We want to protect the public and if something seems too good to be true, then it almost certainly is. The only trusted source of DVLA information is GOV.UK.
‘It is also important to remember never to share images on social media that contain personal information, such as your driving licence and vehicle documents.’
A spokesperson for Action Fraud added: ‘This can be a stressful time of year, sorting out finances for the year ahead. Fraudsters are aware of this and are using different ways to trick people.
‘Taking a couple of minutes to familiarise yourself with a few simple online safety tips can be significant in protecting yourself from becoming a victim of online fraud.
‘You should always be cautious when sharing personal information online and avoid being scammed by only using GOV.UK for government services online, such as the DVLA.
‘If you believe you have been a victim of fraud, please report it to us.’
Note: If you want to see the sample emails being sent out go to the original article by clicking here:
By Graham Hill thanks to This Is Money
