Last week's revelation that scammers are sending fake Driver & Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) emails to motorists continues to cause concern, both among the authorities and members of the public.

According to the DVSA, attached to the scam email was a 'receipt' for a non-existent offence.

However, the DVSA has made it clear that it "never sends fixed penalty notices to customers by email”.

What should you do if you receive a scam email?

The DVSA advises that you:

  • Do not click on any links in the message
  • Do not reply to the email
  • Do not access any files attached to the email

Anyone who has clicked on a link in the email should not supply any information.

Identity theft worries

The DVSA has not stated what kind of information the scam email may ultimately request, but such scams do tend to ask for information such as the recipient’s name, address, date of birth and payment details. This information can help the criminals carry out a wide range of identity theft crimes.

According to the national fraud and cybercrime reporting facility, Action Fraud, such data could be used to do the following:

  • Take over your existing bank accounts
  • Take out mobile phone contracts
  • Obtain genuine documents such as passports and driving licences in your name
  • Open bank accounts
  • Obtain credit cards, loans and state benefits
  • Order goods or services in your name

If you do receive a scam email, the DVSA recommends that you report it to Action Fraud. “Your report will help to build an intelligence picture which can be used by police and other anti-fraud organisations to combat fraudsters”, according to the agency.

Scam emails purporting to be from The Driver & Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) have also been sent out in recent months and years. One of these asked the recipients for road tax payments, but actually contained a Word document virus.