Motorists are being warned to ignore a fake text message sent by scammers, claiming recipients have a parking fine that claims to have been issued by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA)
Drivers are being warned not to fall for a scam text message telling them they have to pay a parking fine issued by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA).
The authority has issued the advice to drivers to be aware of the scam that is being sent to UK drivers and they could end up paying out for a fine that was never committed. The text warns people that they have a “parking penalty charge” and face being taken to court or banned from driving if they do not pay it on time.
The DVSA released a statement saying that the text message is fake. “DVSA does not issue or deal with parking fines,” the agency clarified. The scam text message is littered with spelling errors, which is a common feature of scam communications. It reads: “Dvsa notice for you: You have a parking penalty charge due on 2024/9/30. If you do not pay your fine on time, Your car may be banned from driving, you might have to pay more, or you could be taken to court.”
The message then urges: “Please enter your license plate in the link after reading the information, Check and pay parcking penatly charge.” Finally, it states: “Thank you again for your copperation. Dvsa.” The DVSA urged people to ignore the message and told drivers there is no need to contact the DVSA if they receive the text.
However, they said the text message can be reported to the National Cyber Security Centre. If you’ve been tricked into sharing personal information with a scammer, you can take immediate steps to protect yourself. If you’ve lost money or have been hacked as a result of responding to a suspicious text message, report it at www.actionfraud.police.uk or call 0300 123 2040 (in England, Wales or Northern Ireland).
Alternatively, report it to Police Scotland by calling 101 (in Scotland). You can report scam text messages to the National Cyber Security Centre. You do not need to contact DVSA if you have received the text message.
