Scammers are targeting unsuspecting drivers in a bid to get them to hand over money for fake goods and false promises.
An average of 23 people a day reported a suspected scam to the DVLA in the last three months of 2019.
Now the DVLA has released images of recent scams to help motorists be aware of what to look out for.
And they have issued a clear warning that if something offered online or by text message appears too good to be true, then it almost certainly is.
The Annual Fraud Indicator estimated in 2017 that the cost of fraud to the UK was £190BILLION a year.
Scammers are targeting unsuspecting motorists with:
- links to services that don’t exist
- messages of tax refunds, and
- fake driver and vehicle documents are for sale on the internet
Any motorist with concerns about calls, texts, emails or suspicious activity online, is advised to report the activity 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 refun
“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.”
The warning comes as new figures show a 20% increase in scams reported to DVLA, with 1,538 reports made to agency from October to the end of December 2019. The reports of suspected web, email, text or social media scams were up from 1,275 in the same period in 2018.
A spokesperson for Action Fraud said:“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.”·
Fraud or cyber crime can be reported to Action Fraud by calling 0300 123 2040 (Monday to Friday, 8am to 8pm), or by using their online reporting tool, which is available 24/7.
