Posted: Tuesday, 09 December 2014
Leave it to criminals to take advantage of something as benign as the phase-out of paper driving licences. According to The Telegraph, fraudsters are using a scam e-mail campaign to steal sensitive information by way of the driving licence transition. Consumers are being warned to be vigilant from now through until the New Year.
Apparently, the fraudsters are sending e-mails meant to look as if they are from the DVLA. The text explains that the Government needs personal information from drivers in order to get them in line with the new electronic driving licence standards set to take effect on January 1. The e-mails also contain a link that drivers can follow to submit the requested information. The problem is that the e-mails are not legitimate. Nor, from what we can see, are they particularly professional - just look at the appalling grammar and US spelling of licence!
No government agency is sending out solicitations requiring drivers to do anything about their driving licences. In fact, nothing at all needs to be done. Paper licences now being used by drivers will remain valid until the time of renewal. At that point, the transition will be made. The same is true for drivers using photo card licences. Their licences will also be transitioned at the time of renewal; all renewals are carried out online through the official Government website.
Drivers and companies operating fleets are urged not to respond to any e-mail solicitation asking for personal information for the purposes of updating driving licences. These e-mails are nothing but fraudulent attempts to steal information that could be used to access bank accounts or other secure databases. Suspicious or fraudulent emails can be reported directly to the UK government website here
It is maybe less likely fraudsters would attempt to contact companies for the purposes of stealing the personal information of drivers. Nonetheless, diligence is still warranted. If your company routinely checks driving licences in order to keep track of drivers, it should only be done through a trusted and approved company such as Fleet Licence Check.
Our company was established in 1987 to provide fleet motor claims handling services for companies of all sizes. We were later approved by the DVLA to offer licence validation services, which we now do approximately 20,000 times per year. Our licence checking service is carried out through a direct connection to the agency's computers in order to protect both our clients and their drivers.
Why should you routinely validate the licences of your company drivers? There are four reasons:
Fleet Licence Check is here to assist you with your claims handling and licence checking needs. We have been in business for more than 20 years, having built a reputation that speaks for itself.
Source: The Telegraph