A warning has been issued to drivers by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) over scams targeting people using its services. It has reminded motorists to be on alert for fraud.
Phil Morgan, the DVLA's head of fraud policy investigations, issued warnings and tips to make sure they were using genuine services and not being hit by scams aimed at fleecing them of their money. Mr Morgan said a prime tactic was websites that pretended to be the DVLA or a middle agency between the driver and DVLA.
Some websites may claim that they are affiliated to the DVLA. Others might say they are part of a government service when they're not, reports BirminghamLive.
These are third-party companies which often charge a premium for passing a driver’s details through to the DVLA when it’d be cheaper or free on gov.uk. For example, the service to renew a driving licence at 70 years of age is free on gov.uk, whereas some customers have been charged a premium by using a third-party website. These sites can appear high up in the results of a Google search, so to avoid being caught out, make sure www.gov.uk is included in the URL.
It has also urged people to make sure you never give out personal details such as date of birth, National Insurance number or driving licence number on social media. Similarly, if you post pictures of your official documents such as your log book (V5C) or driving licence, scammers can steal your information to commit fraud.
It’s also important to remember not to share your V5 document reference number – particularly to a prospective purchaser. There's also been an increase in the number of fake social media accounts that either claim to be DVLA or affiliated with it in some way.
Mr Morgan said: "These accounts promise to offer driving licence renewals or replacement documents at a speedier rate, however, an application made through a third-party company is not processed any quicker than one received through our official gov.uk services. We’ve listed DVLA’s official social media channels on gov.uk, so you can be sure you’re at the right place."
