After failing his theory test 14 times, test candidate Mohammad Shoaib tried to ‘game’ the system by paying an impersonator to take the test for him.

Desperate to pass because he was being mocked by friends and colleagues for failing so often, the warehouse worker paid the impersonator £800 – that’s 35 times the cost of a theory test – and provided him with his provisional driving licence.

Trail of deception

Subsequently, the impersonator tried to take Shoaib’s theory test at Sidcup but test centre staff “were not satisfied” with the licence and he was turned away.

The impersonator then tried again, this time in Southampton – over 100 miles away from Sidcup – on January 5. This time, he was allowed to take the test and passed.

However, authorities realised there was a problem – no details are given on exactly how – and Shoaib was interviewed by police.

He admitted to paying money to the impersonator and it was revealed he had “made numerous attempts to pass and had kept failing when he was approached by a person who knew he had issues and offered to take the test for him," according to prosecutor, Stephen Thomas. “He asked for £800 and a licence to be sent to him.”

Paying the price

Shoaib was successfully prosecuted and is now awaiting sentencing. The court has already indicated though that he will not spend any time in prison, instead stating it will likely punish Shoaib in the community via the use of electronic tagging.

As for Shoaib, his lawyer stated that his client was “very deeply embarrassed” and that “he works six days a week in a warehouse and he has not slept since these proceedings and is extremely anxious.”

Shoaib himself stated that, “I have disrespected the country I live in. I was desperate and foolish.”

Cheats everywhere?

Impersonators taking theory tests for learners is sadly not uncommon. For instance, one woman pretended to be 150 people on their practical and theory driving tests, leading to the judge stating she could have made up to £120,000.

And in London and the South East alone, almost 1,000 learner drivers are believed to have cheated on their theory tests by paying an impersonator to stand in for them.

The ramifications of cheating are obvious. It means the fraudulent learner is driving on UK roads without the right skills or knowledge, increasing the chances of causing an accident – or far worse.

• If you believe someone is impersonating a test candidate – or is advertising services to help learners cheat – you can report them here.

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