Drivers warned about scam 'fixed penalty notice' emails
The good news is that you don't have a fixed penalty notice. The bad news is that someone is trying to scam you.
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has warned drivers to be on their guard for scam emails purporting to be from the driving body's Fixed Penalty Office.
Emails contain an attachment to a ‘fixed penalty receipt’. However, this is just an attempt to place malware on your computer, which can then potentially be used to steal your identity.
A spokesman from the DVSA said that it "never sends fixed penalty notices to customers by email". Fixed penalty notices, which cover 'moving traffic offences' like speeding, traffic light offences and box junction contraventions, are always issued in person or by post.
The DVSA urged anyone who receives such an email not to:
- Click any links in the email
- Reply to the email
- Make any contact with the senders
- Open any attachments that arrive with the email
- Supply any extra information on pages that open from email links.
Those who receive suspicious correspondence should report it to Action Fraud.
Identity fraud
You need to act fast if you think you’ve been a victim of identity fraud. With access to your personal details, fraudsters can open bank accounts, order goods in your name, take over your existing accounts and get their hands on genuine documents like passports and driving licences in your name.
To help minimise the damage, you should get in touch with your bank and the police as well as checking your credit report. Take the next steps by reading Identity theft: what to do if you’re a victim of ID fraud.
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Comments
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Report them! What does a few minutes doing next, next, next matter compared to theft of your identity, property etc. Don't forget that these parasites are heartless thieves and can cause immense distress to their victims.
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Who in their right mind would consider that there's even the remotest possibility that such emails could be genuine? Apart from the fact that a fixed penalty notice notified by email wouldn't have any legal standing, how would the DVSA know your email anyway? I wouldn't mind betting these emails have poor grammar and are probably riddled with spelling and syntax errors to boot.
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Latent, based on your comment I DID then click on the "Action Fraud" link. I appreciate your point about the next, next, next etc but also appreciate this serves two purposes: 1) if you persist for just a couple of minutes it shows you are intent on complaining 2) it categorises the type of fraud that you've suffered and helps the Action Frauid staff immeasurably. You do get the chance at the end to forward the very email that you are reporting so I'd strongly suggest you SHOULD persist withthe several options that need to be clicked. I just hope Actiion Fraud then take ACTION.
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14 March 2016