New BBC research reveals there are hundreds of fraudsters using social media to advertise how they can secure a driving licence for  people  – without the ‘customer’ ever needing to take a test.

BBC Verify analysis has uncovered at least 669 accounts on Facebook and TikTok that openly promote services to game the system with ads also popping up on Instagram.

More worryingly, these accounts have a combined following of 138,900, suggesting there are people out there who are ‘fans’ of such services.

Services offered

Test ‘services’ include hiring a lookalike to take the driving test for you. Others advertise helping you through your theory test by providing answers using a Bluetooth earpiece.

Posing as a person with zero driving experience, the BBC reached out to several of the fraudsters to learn more about what they were offering and how much they charged:

  • A fraudster offered a full UK driving licence for £720, saying they could provide a pass certificate within five days.
  • Another stated they would charge £1,600 to pass the theory test and £2,600 to source a lookalike to sit the driving test.
  • One fraudster said they would deliver answers to the theory test via a ‘microscopic’ Bluetooth earpiece if the ‘customer’ paid £1,500.

Growing problem

The latest data from the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) reveals that incidents of learners using an impersonator to try and pass their driving test have shot up.

According to data provided by the agency to the BBC, there were 654 instances of fraud in 2018. That has now risen to 2,015 in 2023.

This represents more than a triple fold increase in just five years (and remember, the pandemic closed down testing for extended periods as well).

Cracking down

The agency has had some success cracking down on the fraudsters. For instance, in the year from April 2022, the DVSA has sent 30 cases of fraud by false representation for prosecution, which involve almost 500 offences. Fifty three arrests have also been made and successful prosecutions secured.

For instance, in 2022, a woman was found guilty of taking around 150 theory and practical driving tests for other people, and was jailed for eight months.

However, the concern is that fraudsters are adapting quickly, using the scale and speed of the internet to outfox investigators.

“The internet is so huge; the social media platforms are vast and these people are very clever, they move the adverts around; they change them frequently. So actually, spotting them and taking action quickly is a real challenge.”

Marian Kitson, head of DVSA law enforcement, to the BBC

Why do it

The main reason for the meteoric rise in fraud is the wait for a driving test slot, driving instructors told the BBC.

With waiting times of up to six months, learners are becoming desperate. Carly Brookfield, chief executive of the Driving Instructors Association, told the BBC that, “if you’re facing the fact that if you don’t pass the test you have to wait for up to six months [to try again], then you’re going to think about cheating the system.”

Licence revoked

For anyone tempted to try and get a licence fraudulently, remember that if you are caught, your licence will be revoked.

More importantly, there is a reason why you need to take both the theory and practical driving tests – to keep you and other road users as safe as possible. All you’re achieving by trying to cheat the system is endangering lives. It’s that simple.

Know Your Code

You can double your chances of theory test success with Theory Test Pro. Sign up for free here.

Main image by vicky gharat from Pixabay.