Would-be drivers are being fleeced out of hundreds of pounds by social media scammers promising to give them full UK licences – without ever having to take a test.
TikTok fraudsters are offering desperate learner drivers the chance to skip the queue in what they call ‘driving made easy’, encouraging customers to message them on WhatsApp.
It comes with a hefty price tag of up to £800 as several claim to be working with the DVLA ensuring it’s legitimate.
The Daily Mail counted more than 20 accounts like this, with the fraudsters assuring that ‘you won’t have to do a thing’ except hand over your provisional licence for them to make arrangements.
In one WhatsApp exchange seen by the Daily Mail, the scammer says it’s £650 to obtain a full UK licence, including the theory, driving test and card itself.
They claimed it is carried out as an ‘inside job’ by someone working within the DVLA who will take the tests for you.
Another opportunist charged £700 and said ‘we specialise in assisting individuals who have faced multiple challenges in passing their theory test or obtaining their full driving licence.’
They and several others claimed to work in the DVLA and so can make changes and updates directly within the database system, which should appear in three days.
Would-be drivers are being fleeced out of hundreds of pounds by social media scammers promising to give them full UK licences – without ever having to do a test
It comes as the pass rate for driving theory tests is at its ‘lowest point in history’, according to a 2023 report
A fourth account also charging £700 said the process takes up to seven days and they require a £300 deposit to secure your details in the DVLA database.
Buyers are promised an easy win as they are told, ‘you won’t have to take any tests or lessons, we’ll handle the entire process for you from start to finish’.
One man behind one of the accounts said a full licence would cost £590 and guaranteed everything is ‘100% legit’ and ‘fully registered on the DVLA database.’
He even asked to be referred to friends as ‘client satisfaction is my main priority’.
Alongside fake licences, some promise to lift bans for £600, which drivers can be legally prosecuted for.
While the cost for a HGV licence can set you back £1200 and removal of penalty points are being priced at £200 for every three points.
One TikTok account has taken a clip of a girl that passed her driving test first time, but have captioned that she did it with no test.
It has raked up 120,000 views, with skeptical users asking in the comments ‘is it real’, ‘how does this actually work’ and ‘is this legal’.
They claimed it is carried out as an ‘inside job’ by someone working within the DVLA who will take the tests for you
But hundreds of others are intrigued by the possibility of fast track success and have asked ‘how much’, ‘how can I do it’ and said ‘I am interested’.
It comes as the pass rate for driving theory tests is at its ‘lowest point in history’, according to a 2023 report.
Learners’ chances of passing their theory test dropped by a third since 2007/08 from 65.4 per cent to just 44.2 per cent in 2022/23.
Average driving theory test pass rates were generally between 60 and 65 per cent in the late 2000s, though changes introduced a decade ago sparked a sharp fall in pass rates to around 50 per cent.
These included an increase in questions, the withdrawal of interpreters and – likely having the biggest impact – the decision to stop publishing new theory test questions online or in practice papers.
A DVLA spokesperson said: ‘These 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.’
No evidence to date has been identified to suggest that DVLA staff are involved in such incidents.
Alongside fake licences, some promise to lift bans and points for a fee of up to £600, which drivers can be legally prosecuted for
Any documents received as a result of applying through these social media accounts will be counterfeit, they warned.
With the cost of lessons mounting and the threat of being pushed to the back of a queue if they fail, many learners see the shortcut as a cheaper alternative.
Aseem Munshi, Founder of financial firm Updraft, warns that economic strain on would-be drivers is what makes the scams more tempting.
He said: ‘When people are under pressure, whether it’s from rising costs or the fear of falling further behind in the driving test queue, they’re more vulnerable to offers that promise a quick solution.
‘Scammers are clever at exploiting frustration, but the only safe and legal way to get a licence is to pass your test. No social media account can shortcut that process, and paying them could cost you far more in the long run.’
Meanwhile Britain’s learner drivers are facing the biggest backlog on record and are being exploited by dodgy brokers charging more than double the price for an earlier test.
With the cost of lessons mounting and the threat of being pushed to the back of a queue if they fail, many learners see the shortcut as a cheaper alternative
Endless waiting lists as long as six months to sit practical tests means the slots have become hot commodities.
Given the huge demand, a driving test black market has been created as test bookings are now being sold at inflated prices of around £200 through third party websites, Facebook groups and WhatsApp.
Unofficial broker companies are selling the appointments by using instructors’ official Personal Reference Numbers to access available slots, then selling them at an extortionate price where they take the profit off the original fee.
The details are then changed to match that of the buyer. The service allows learners to get a test in a matter of days or weeks.
