Driving licence renewal scam

[RayandCarole]

Just spotted this on Ship Nostalgia forum :

BE AWARE IF RENEWING YOUR DRIVERS LICENCE ONLINE - When going online to the .GOV DVLA website you select the correct one. On Googling for the site quite a few .GOV sites come up. If, as I did you log on to the top one (seemingly) main site and fill your details in etc you will be asked for a 0.90p admin fee payable by debit card. Bearing in mind that all pages look like an official dvla site, it is only when you log off and check your e-mail you become aware of the fact you have signed up to a £29 per month service that has nothing to do with driving licences. The wording on the official renewal form is exactly the same as the scam site. The DVLA is seemingly aware of what is going on but no action has been taken. They have in fact been supplying outside companies with bulk postal licence renewal forms - the end product of your £29 per month agreement - they are free at the Post Office!!! The Bank (Barclays) tell me I can only have any deductions taken from my account questioned AFTER it has occurred. I gave the name of the company to stop anything leaving my account but they wont act until it happens.???

Cheers

Ray
 

[riyadhcrew]

How carefull do we have to be these days!!!!! It appears that the scammers have access to almost everything that we would normally take for granted as being "the real thing". Is there a way to stop it? - I don't know. I applied for an "E" card from my bank and it will only do one off payments on the web. I have to make a transfer to it every time I want to use it and it's the best way I have seen yet to avoid false payments.

[Guest]

Yes, my neighbour fell foul of the driving license scam a year or two ago.

It's another annoying loophole in the law, as it isn't even illegal.

The scammer is acting as an "agent" to pass the money on to the DVLA on your behalf, so they haven't actually broken the law.

Exactly the same spoof has been running for many years with domain name renewals. I've received several letters apparently coming from Nominet, offering to give me discounts for renewing my UK domain names for several years.

In reality, they are trying to charge far more that even Nominet charge, let along the significant genuine discounts that most web space providers offer.

[BroadScot]

I have words for these Scammers .....BUT.... I cannot type it on a family forum!!!!

Iain.

[Hockham Admiral]

"Scrotes" will do, Iain........................

[JanetAnne]

Just to further the above warning... these 'agencies' will also renew your vehicle tax, organise your sorn, book your driving test etc etc. They do not break the law as they provide a service as in they do actually renew your vehicle tax or whatever for you and pay dvla accordingly. Yes, dvla are aware but no fraud exists and so no crime is committed.

They look so official that you are convinced you are using the genuine site until you are charged for it.

If you are ever not sure then check the cost of what you are wanting to buy first. That way, when you get to the paying bit, you will instantly notice if the figures are not right.

There is good news though. I seriously doubt anybody will ever try to be the Broads Authority

[JanetAnne]

On 07/11/2015, 12:26:04, BroadScot said:

I have words for these Scammers .....BUT.... I cannot type it on a family forum!!!!

Iain.

You could always type it after the 21:00 watershed? 

[TheQ]

I found by far the easiest way to renew your driving licence is to go to a Post office, which has the photo equipment (Castle Mall Post Office in Norwich).  

Walk in, by pass the queues for the normal tills, go round the far left present your renewal form, the person behind the counter tells you to look into the camera, he adjusts height, light, focus. click, pay your money, a week later a licence appears in the post, for not much more than going to a photo booth+ licence and hoping the machine does a photo that they'll accept.

 if you've forgotten your renewal reminder, they can still do it but you will need the other documentation requested on the reminder

 The post office web site will tell you where your nearest photo post office is.