Wednesday, February 2, 2011

DVLA Scam Targets UK Truck And Car Drivers

Don't Get Caught by 'Phishing' e mail
Shipping News Feature

UK – We’ve all seen them, the Government Treasury official in Nigeria who’s squirreled away $20 million and wants to put it through your bank; the Euro lottery ticket you never knew you had, just send back your details; can you please confirm your HSBC account information for our ‘security’ department? - when you haven’t got an account there or the Brazilian woman whose husband left her millions, and now she’s dying wants you to take the cash and distribute it to children’s charities for her.

Now there’s a new one, drawn to our attention by the Road Haulage Association (RHA) particularly relevant to any truck drivers out there. If you receive an e mail purporting to be from the DVLA tread very carefully. The current version reads as follows:

From: DVLA

Subject: Update Your License Details

We are currrently upgrading our database and all drivers are required to update and verify there driver's license details. To complete your license verification with us, you are required to fill out the form in the link below.

{Fake link}

Drivers that refuses to upgrade his or her details within two weeks of receiving this verification email will lose his or her driver's License and will have to take a fresh driving test. We sincerely apologise for any inconviniences this might have caused you.

Thank you for your co-operation.

(c) Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency Swansea SA6 7JL

The clues are the usual mix of incompetent presentation and spelling as highlighted (are there no literate scam artists out there?) and the fact that the DVLA are never going to send such a patently stupid missive. No doubt someone will fall for it, just make sure it’s not you.