DVLA issues message to millions of UK drivers after 20,000 calls

Motorists across Britain are being urged to remain vigilant as nearly 20,000 drivers reached out to the DVLA last year with worrying reports.

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) has issued new advice after data revealed that close to 20,000 customers rang its contact centre to report suspicious emails, texts and other dubious activities. In a recent social media warning, the agency cautioned: "Unsure if the message you've received from DVLA is genuine? Learn how to spot scams with our official guidance."

This comes amidst rising worries that fraudsters are employing increasingly cunning tactics to scam drivers into surrendering personal and financial details.

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The DVLA emphasised that GOV.UK is the sole platform to access official information and services. It alerted that using alternative websites could result in motorists being overcharged for services that are cheaper or even free on GOV.UK. In some instances, these sites may be fraudulent.

Drivers are advised to directly search on GOV.UK when applying for or updating a driving licence, taxing a vehicle or making Clean Air Zone (CAZ) payments.

The agency also warned drivers against sharing images of their driving licence or V5C log book on social media. Whilst receiving a new licence is a significant event, both documents contain crucial identifying details that criminals can manipulate to steal identities or even clone vehicles.

Victims can then find themselves hit with parking, congestion charges and more. Emails and texts asking for bank details are a common trick.

Fraudsters often send messages requesting recipients to verify personal information such as bank or payment details, sometimes under the guise of a vehicle tax refund. The DVLA has made it clear that it will never ask for bank account details or request confirmation of payment information via email or text.

It will only prompt customers to confirm personal details electronically if there is an ongoing enquiry. Vehicle tax refunds are automatically issued and are never dispatched via an email containing a link. If you receive a message you believe is unsafe, don't click on any links. Instead, report it to the National Cyber Security Centre and then delete it.

Keep wary of impersonation websites. A rising tactic involves websites crafted to mimic official DVLA pages.

These sites may add on extra fees for services that are available free or at a lower cost on GOV.UK, including licence applications, vehicle tax transactions and CAZ payments. Motorists are strongly advised to double-check web addresses and ensure they are using GOV.UK before entering any personal details.

How to report suspicious activity

The DVLA says drivers can help combat fraud by:

• Reporting phishing emails to the National Cyber Security Centre here
• Reporting online fraud to Report Fraud here
• Reporting misleading adverts to search engines here.

Most DVLA services are available online through GOV.UK, and motorists can sign up for official email alerts for the latest updates.