DVLA warns customers to stay safe online
DVLA is reminding customers that the only official place to find our services and information is on GOV.UK. Cyber scams are common so we want to help our customers to spot fraudulent activity.
Scam emails and text messages
We don’t send emails or text messages that ask you to confirm your personal details or payment information, such as for a vehicle tax refund. If you get anything like this, don’t open any links and delete the email or text immediately.
Misleading websites
Beware of misleading third party websites passing themselves off as DVLA. These sites might, for example, offer to help you apply for a driving licence, tax your car or connect you to our contact centre. These sites will often charge additional fees for services that you can get for free or at a lower cost on GOV.UK.
To try and pass themselves off as genuine, these sites might include ‘DVLA’ in their web address (URL). They might also design their site to appear as if it’s DVLA - for example, using DVLA’s old ‘green triangle’ logo, which we no longer use.
Don’t be fooled by these sites - even if they appear at the top of search engine results. Always double check you’re using GOV.UK.
Top tips to protect yourself and others
Only use GOV.UK so you can be sure that you’re dealing directly with DVLA.
Never share images on social media that contain personal information, such as your driving licence and vehicle documents.
Report phishing emails to the National Cyber Security Centre.
Report online scams to Action Fraud.
Report misleading adverts to search engines.
Keep up to date with internet safety - read more about online scams and phishing, and how to stay safe online.
Updates to this page
Published 6 February 2018Last updated 21 April 2020 + show all updates
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We have added a link to report phishing emails
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Added translation
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First published.