Following a recent spate of fraudsters pretending to be from the Drivers and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), Bira Insurance felt that now would be the right time to highlight how criminals are stealing from unsuspecting motorists. According to the DVLA*, criminals send fake texts and emails  to unsuspecting motorists in a bid to steal their personal information and bank details.

In the last three months of 2018 alone, a worrying 1,275 reports were made to the agency* about suspected online scams.

In a bid to crack down, the DVLA has now released 7 tips to avoid becoming a victim of online car tax fraud.

  1. Only use gov.uk websites when looking for information online so you know the service you’re using is legitimate.
  2. Watch out for scam emails. The DVLA never asks for personal information via email, so if you receive one, ignore it.
  3. Don’t use third party websites that charge additional fees for services free-of-charge on gov.uk websites.
  4. Never use a premium-rate phone number to call the DVLA. All DVLA contact centre numbers begin with 0300 and are charged at local rates
  5. Don’t share images of your licence or vehicle documents on social media to protect yourself from would-be thieves looking to steal your identity.
  6. Ignore any text messages about vehicle tax refunds. The DVLA never sends texts, so delete them immediately.
  7. Report any suspected scams to Action Fraud immediately to help keep you and others safe from fraudsters.

All Bira members have instant access to our online cyber support service. The intelligent system will identify for you how your business could be at risk to cyber criminals. You can use the service whether you buy your business insurance through Bira or not.

If you would like more advice you can call Bira Insurance on 0330 123 5939 to find out more.

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*DVLA quote on gov.uk website on 16/02/2019