It’s a tough time for learner drivers right now. Not only are they having to contend with long, long waiting times to get a driving test, there are con artists who are out to cash in on the delay or deliberately spread misinformation.
Here are the latest scams you should be aware of so you don’t risk falling foul of them:
1. Fake driving instructors
The Driving and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has revealed it is cracking down on unqualified driving instructors. It’s already carrying out investigations to snare ‘instructors’ with 150 learner vehicles pulled over and three instructors suspected of illegally teaching young drivers.
The police has also stopped and arrested fake instructors. For instance, this month, an unqualified instructor was pulled over in Milton Keynes and was discovered to be charging their pupils £37.50 an hour for lessons.
Remember, a legit instructor has had to go through rigorous training and assessment processes to qualify – and be officially allowed to charge you for driving lessons. To make sure your instructors is legit, check for an official Approved Driver Instructor (ADI) badge in their windscreen.
A green badge means they are full qualified while a pink one means they are in training but can still charge for and carry out lessons.
If you want to double check, you can always use the the DVSA’s online database to source an approved instructor. Head here and enter your postcode to get a list of approved instructors in your areas. Finally, if you think you may have come across a fake driving instructor, you can report them to the DVSA here.
2. Scammers on TikTok
We’ve already covered the various scams happening online – check out the latest info in our blog post here. However, a new con has been reported that uses the popular video platform, TikTok.
Criminals are advertising to desperate learners that they can secure a full driving licence – no questions asked – for £800. All the learner needs to do is send in their provisional licence. In return, the learner is inevitably given a fake licence.
It’s worth remembering that if you are found in possession of a fake licence, you could face up to 10 years in prison.
“These [TikTok] accounts are not connected to DVLA and are recognised scams that attempt to obtain payment or personal information. Anyone concerned they may have been a victim of a scam should contact the police through Action Fraud straight away.”
• DVLA spokesperson to the Daily Mail
3. Fake news
It’s a sign of the times – people sharing fake information about everything from politics and celebs to even driving lessons. The DVSA has published an official warning about social media posts that promote false information.
In one example, a social media post claimed that you only need to clock a certain number of hours with your driving instructor before you can then drive unaccompanied. As you’ll already know, this is nonsense – until you’ve qualified, you must always be accompanied by an instructor or an adult with a full driving licence.
Our advice? Always check with your driving instructor about what you can and can’t do as a learner – and avoid relying on information featured social media posts from unauthorised sources.
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