Fake DVSA ‘parking penalty charge’ texts still circulating

Scammers are continuing to impersonate the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) with fake parking fine claims and ‘final warning’ messages.

This follow-up tactic makes the scam seem more convincing, but there’s an easy way to spot this scam.

Read on to see what this scam looks like and what to do if you receive a parking fine text.

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Parking penalty charge text

The first text is detailed and explains that if you don’t pay an overdue ‘parking penalty charge’ you may have to pay more, be banned from driving, or go to court. But there are telltale signs it’s fake.

1. The phrase ‘parking penalty charge.’ There are only two types of parking fines you can get and they’re called a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) or a parking charge notice, not a ‘parking penalty charge.’
2. The threat that ‘your car may be banned from driving.’ First, you or your car can’t be banned from driving after getting a parking fine, even if you don’t pay. 
3. The message contains grammatical errors, including commas, spaces and capital letters in the wrong places.
4. The link included is not an official government web domain, which should end in 'gov.uk'. Tiny URL is one of many link-shortening services that can mask real web addresses.
5. The DVSA doesn’t issue parking tickets or parking fines. It’s a government body that oversees driving safety and carries out driving tests and MOTs.

The DVSA has issued a warning about the fake messages and confirmed it does not deal with parking fines.

Final payment warnings

Those who've opened the original fake DVSA text claiming they have an overdue parking charge have reported receiving several follow-up texts days later. 

The texts warn that time is running out to get an early-payment discount, and some include threatening final payment demands.

Victims told us that after receiving more texts they felt pressured to follow links in the messages, even though they knew they shouldn’t, but because they were worried and wanted to check if they really did have an overdue charge.

The links take victims to a copycat government website designed to steal your personal details, similar to one Which? covered in September. 

Scammers can often tell if you’ve opened text messages. When they know someone is actively using a phone number, they’ll later target you with further messages trying to convince you it’s real.

Why parking fine texts are always fake

Texts or emails threatening parking charges are always fake. Real Penalty Charge Notices or parking charge notices must be sent to you by letter through the post. 

The letter will be addressed to you personally and will include your vehicle registration number, details about where and when the parking contravention happened, and will often include photos of where your car was parked.

Parking fines are issued based on your car's registration number and the name and address your vehicle is registered to. Local authorities and companies that issue PCNs or parking charge notices do not have access to your phone number or email address, so they can't contact you using those details.

Read more: Parking fines and how to appeal them

What to do if you receive a scam text message

Ignore scam texts and don’t follow any links included in the message. You can report scam texts to the National Cyber Security Centre by forwarding the message to 7726.

If you think you have shared personal information with a scammer, such as your registration number, name, address or contact details, be wary of further attempts to scam you using your details. For example, scammers may try to contact you pretending to be from your bank or another organisation and use the fact they know your name and other details to get you to trust them.

If you’ve shared bank account or payment card details, let your bank know so it can take extra steps to protect your money.

If you’ve lost money, report it to your bank and Action Fraud online or by calling 0300 123 2040; if you live in Scotland, you can report it to the police on 101.