UK motorists have been issued a bank account warning after 20,000 drivers contacted the DVLA contact centre. The DVLA has today, Friday, May 1, shared a post on X urging drivers to protect themselves when it comes to their bank accounts.
The UK driving agency said people have been sent emails or text messages urging them to verify personal details such as bank or payment information. Some may even be sent messages saying you are entitled to a vehicle tax refund.
Almost 20,000 customers have contacted DVLA's contact centre in just one year to flag such fraudulent activity. Now officials say that as fraudsters employ increasingly sophisticated methods to deceive victims, it's more important than ever for motorists to remain vigilant and recognise fraudulent emails, texts, websites and calls.
Officials say the sole place to access official information on DVLA and its services is GOV.UK. Using any other website could result in being charged more for services that are either cheaper or completely free on GOV.UK.
Other websites may even be fraudulent, so the advice is to always use GOV.UK when dealing with DVLA. You can read the DVLA advice in full here.
The DVLA said: "Latest figures show that in 2024, almost 20,000 customers called DVLA’s contact centre to report fraudulent activity." They say never share your driving licence or vehicle information online, it is being warned. Obtaining your driving licence is a significant milestone, and you may be tempted to share your new shiny licence or V5C (log book) on social media, the DVLA says.
However, both documents contain identifying details that scammers can use to steal your identity or even clone your vehicle. And before you know it, you could be receiving parking, congestion or speeding fines that you were not responsible for. Be on your guard against emails and texts requesting you to verify personal details, they say.
Fraudsters frequently send emails or text messages to unsuspecting victims requesting them to verify personal details, such as bank or payment information. They may even send messages claiming you are entitled to a hefty vehicle tax refund.
The DVLA says it will never ask you for your bank account details or ask you to confirm payment details. We will only ask you to confirm your personal details by email or text if you have a live enquiry with us.
And vehicle tax refunds are issued automatically – never via an email with a link. Should you receive one of these emails or texts, do not click on any links. Instead, report it to the National Cyber Security Centre and delete it straight away.
The DVLA guidance states: "Scammers create websites that attempt to impersonate DVLA and may appear legitimate. These sites will often charge additional fees for services you can get for free or at a lower cost on GOV.UK, including driving licence applications, vehicle tax transactions and Clean Air Zone (CAZ) payments. If you need to use these or any other government services, always search for them on GOV.UK."
How to report online activity
Should you encounter any of these scams or any other suspicious activity, you can do your bit to help tackle fraud by:
- reporting phishing emails to the National Cyber Security Centre
- reporting online scams to Report Fraud
- reporting misleading adverts to search engines