SCAM ALERT!!!!! - Did scammers know about my DVLA renewal?

[The Bald Eagle]

Did scammers know about my DVLA renewal?

We’ve covered DVLA scams before, but this one caught my eye due to how closely-tied it was to my real vehicle tax renewal. How did the scammers know?

While the last scam DVLA email we looked at told drivers that they were ‘not up-to-date’ with their vehicle tax, this one takes things one step further.

When I received my vehicle tax renewal in the post a while back I, like most people these days, opted to pay it online.

Everything went through as normal, but just two days later, an email appeared in my inbox that made me look twice.



Even though my account flagged the message as spam, the professionally worded subject title, along with the presence of the ‘customer number’ made me open things up for a closer look.

Fortunately the email address it came from acted as a dead giveaway, but the email arriving so close to my legitimate renewal does beg the question; had my data been leaked somewhere? How did the scammers know?

DVLA and Which? advice

I let our consumer rights expert, Amelia Wade, know about the email – she got in touch with the DVLA to ask them about the scam.



The DVLA assured us its sytems are secure, built to government standards and checked regularly for any vulnerabilities.

It is, however, good practice to regularly clear your browsing data, keep your browser up-to-date, ensure you’ve got a good antivirus software and have good password hygiene.

Scammers are becoming increasingly conniving, so trust your spam filters and take pause to think if you’re being asked to input payment details after following a URL.

It can’t be ruled out that this case in particular could have been a coincidence – it’s not uncommon for scammers to chance their arm with multiple emails at different times.


With clever DVLA scams targeting drivers regularly, we’ve written a new guide on how to spot them, so you can stay ahead of the fraudsters.

Read our new guide to DVLA scams https://www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/advice/how-to-spot-dvla-scams

We’ve included examples of the scam texts and emails themselves, as well as advice on what to do if you think you’ve followed a scam link.

Have you received a DVLA scam email just days after your real vehicle tax renewal was due? Let us know if they were clever enough for you to open them up, and if your spam filters were on the ball.

https://conversation.which.co.uk/motoring/dvla-vehicle-tax-payment-failed-scam/?utm_campaign=whichukt&utm

[2b1ask1]

I can see if someone drives past (or reviews dash cam footage) of parked cars on driveways, then https://vehicleenquiry.service.gov.uk/

They have your address and reg number, and know when the tax and MOT run out and even when they are renewed (within 24 hrs) so only your name as registered keeper evades them; register of electors perhaps, nick your rubbish or intercept mail, most of us are fairly 'shouty' what with social media. Maybe you are self employed and use your home address like so many of us, we freely give our business contact details trying to win work.