A WIDESPREAD car tax scam looks so realistic that millions of drivers have fallen for it.
The DVLA has issued a fresh warning over the scam, which has been reported more than 1,100 times in just two weeks.
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Fake emails claiming to be from the agency have duped motorists into thinking their road tax payments have failed.
The “phishing” emails trick unsuspecting drivers into handing over their financial details.
Action Fraud said: “We have received 1,186 reports in two weeks relating to fake emails purporting to be from DVLA.”
A spokesperson added: “The emails claim that the recipients’ vehicle tax payment has failed.
“The payment links provided in the emails lead to genuine-looking DVLA websites.
“But they are designed to steal your personal and financial information.”
The number of DVLA scams has surged by a whopping 603 per cent over the past three months.
Genuine messages from the agency will never ask you to send your bank details by email.
The DVLA will also never send you text messages about vehicle tax refunds.
Never share snaps of your driving licence, bank details or vehicle docs online.
Cybercrime cops have taken down nearly 200,000 phishing scams on 358,186 websites this year.
The National Cyber Security Centre said: “By reporting suspicious emails, drivers can help reduce the volume of scam communications they receive.
“By doing this, they will also make themselves harder targets for fraudsters.”
More than 40million Brits have been targeted by scammers over the past year.
How to protect yourself from scams
BY keeping these tips in mind, you can avoid getting caught up in a scam:
- Firstly, remember that if something seems too good to be true, it normally is.
- Check brands are “verified” on Facebook and Twitter pages – this means the company will have a blue tick on its profile.
- Look for grammatical and spelling errors; fraudsters are notoriously bad at writing proper English. If you receive a message from a “friend” informing you of a freebie, consider whether it’s written in your friend’s normal style.
- If you’re invited to click on a URL, hover over the link to see the address it will take you to – does it look genuine?
- To be on the really safe side, don’t click on unsolicited links in messages, even if they appear to come from a trusted contact.
- Be careful when opening email attachments too. Fraudsters are increasingly attaching files, usually PDFs or spreadsheets, which contain dangerous malware.
- If you receive a suspicious message then report it to the company, block the sender and delete it.
- If you think you’ve fallen for a scam, report it to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or use its online fraud reporting tool.
