Here's however to spot the clever scam
- Harry Goodwin, News Reporter
- Published: 13:34, 15 Nov 2024
- Updated: 13:35, 15 Nov 2024
A WIDESPREAD car taxation scam looks truthful realistic that millions of drivers person fallen for it.
The DVLA has issued a caller informing implicit the scam, which has been reported much than 1,100 times successful conscionable 2 weeks.
Fake emails claiming to beryllium from the bureau person duped motorists into reasoning their roadworthy taxation payments person failed.
The "phishing" emails instrumentality unsuspecting drivers into handing implicit their fiscal details.
Action Fraud said: "We person received 1,186 reports successful 2 weeks relating to fake emails purporting to beryllium from DVLA."
A spokesperson added: "The emails assertion that the recipients' conveyance taxation outgo has failed.
"The outgo links provided successful the emails pb to genuine-looking DVLA websites.
"But they are designed to bargain your idiosyncratic and fiscal information.”
The fig of DVLA scams has surged by a whopping 603 per cent implicit the past 3 months.
Genuine messages from the bureau volition ne'er inquire you to nonstop your bank details by email.
The DVLA volition besides ne'er nonstop you substance messages astir conveyance taxation refunds.
Never stock snaps of your driving licence, slope details oregon conveyance docs online.
Cybercrime cops person taken down astir 200,000 phishing scams connected 358,186 websites this year.
The National Cyber Security Centre said: "By reporting suspicious emails, drivers tin assistance trim the measurement of scam communications they receive.
"By doing this, they volition besides marque themselves harder targets for fraudsters."
More than 40million Brits person been targeted by scammers implicit the past year.
How to support yourself from scams
BY keeping these tips successful mind, you tin debar getting caught up successful a scam:
- Firstly, retrieve that if thing seems excessively bully to beryllium true, it usually is.
- Check brands are "verified" connected Facebook and Twitter pages - this means the institution volition person a bluish tick connected its profile.
- Look for grammatical and spelling errors; fraudsters are notoriously atrocious astatine penning due English. If you person a connection from a “friend” informing you of a freebie, see whether it’s written successful your friend’s mean style.
- If you’re invited to click connected a URL, hover implicit the nexus to spot the code it volition instrumentality you to – does it look genuine?
- To beryllium connected the truly harmless side, don’t click connected unsolicited links successful messages, adjacent if they look to travel from a trusted contact.
- Be cautious erstwhile opening email attachments too. Fraudsters are progressively attaching files, usually PDFs oregon spreadsheets, which incorporate unsafe malware.
- If you person a suspicious connection past study it to the company, artifact the sender and delete it.
- If you deliberation you've fallen for a scam, study it to Action Fraud connected 0300 123 2040 oregon usage its online fraud reporting tool.