DVLA scam warning: Drivers could have their identity stolen today with this simple error

DVLA experts have warned motorists to not share images of their driving licence on social media. They also advise to not post photos of your V5C logbook or private registration certificates online to prevent crime. Vehicle registration documents are also targeted and DVLA experts say any photos which can expose personal information should not be shared. The latest warning comes amid recent DVLA scam warnings to prevent motorists being conned by criminals.

Car details can be obtained through images and then used by car cloners to put details onto a stolen vehicle.

This means criminals might be able to make a stolen vehicle look road legal in a method to avoid police officers and the law. 

This could put a legal driver at risk of being hit with fines or charges if a vehicle using their identity is involved in a serious crime.

Police chiefs urge drivers who believe their car has been cloned to act immediately and contact the DVLA and the police.

Drivers hit with incorrect fines or charges should return the correspondence to the relevant authority with enough evidence to prove it was not them behind the wheel at the time.

Recent data released by fraud prevention service Cifas shows identity test across the board has increased by eight percent year-on-year with 189,108 cases reported to authorities last year.

Drivers have also been urged to watch out for a whole host of DVLA scams which could have devastating effects on drivers.

The DVLA reassure customers that never send emails or text messages with links to a website asking you to confirm personal details or payment information.

They urged drivers to ignore these and not open any links attached in the messages after several car tax scam messages were sent to motorists. 

The fake messages warn drivers they are not up-to-date with their car tax and VED payments even if they are. 

Scammers can make a website picked up like an official DVLA online service to extract important personal information from unsuspecting drivers.

The sites may also charge additional fees for services which they can get for free or at a lower price using official websites.

The DVLA says some of the sites try and get around motorists by using the words DVLA in the URL or by using the company’s old green triangle logo.

DVLA chiefs urge drivers to report any online scams to Action Fraud for an investigation into the message.

A DVLA statement said: “The government, led by Cabinet Office ’s Government Digital Service (GDS) will continue to investigate reports of organisations which may be actively misleading users about their services or acting illegally, taking swift action when necessary.

“By using the online driving licence or vehicle tax transactions on GOV.UK you can be sure that you are dealing directly with the DVLA.” 

source: express.co.uk