One of Britain’s biggest banks Lloyds has issued a warning to all learners about a huge increase in scams for securing a driving test or lessons.

Over the last six months, scam levels have shot up by a whopping 92%, leaving victims fleeced out of £244 on average.

How scams works

To avoid being stung, Lloyds has broken down how the fraudsters work:

  • Offer discounted driving lessons posted in ads on social media – typically Facebook – that are often affiliated with legit driving schools falsely.
  • Then you’ll be approached on WhatsApp with a request to pay £150 as a deposit for your lessons plus £100 to cover the costs of insurance.
  • Fast forward to your first driving lesson and the driving instructor doesn’t show up – and you’re out of pocket.
  • Another nefarious trick is for scammers to offer you a specific date for a driving test and then send through the ‘details’ once you’ve coughed up.
  • When you turn up for your test on the big day, there’s no booking and you’re turned away, meaning all that stress and money was for nowt.

Growing pains

It’s understandable why so many of learners are desperate to find a quick fix for the long practical driving test’s waiting times that are holding back often test-ready learners from becoming a qualified drivers.

“Driving is a rite of passage for many people, and an eagerness to get behind the wheel as soon as possible – particularly if there are long waits for driving tests – can make people vulnerable to these driving scams,” explains Liz Ziegler, Fraud Prevention Director, Lloyds to This is Money.

Five signs of a scam

To avoid being stung, Lloyds recommends you take the following simple steps:

1. Social media

Be super cautious when clicking on ads on social media such as Facebook and Instagram.

2. Upfront payments

Be very wary of paying upfront for anything. Another red flag is when the account that you’re being asked to pay into doesn’t match up with instructor’s name or if you’re told to make payment to multiple accounts.

3. Pressure selling

Scammers like to make their lesson offers time-limited but a reputable driving school doesn’t pile on the pressure – they want to make sure you’re happy with your choice without strong arming you into it. Any offers of a guaranteed driving test slot should also be given a wide berth.

4. Check everything

Check the instructor or driving school’s official site, search for reviews and check their accreditations. Also give the official number a call to double check the offer is actually legit.

5. Walk away

If anything sets off alarm bells such as a obscure lesson packages or missing terms and conditions about cancellations or payment agreements, it’s simple – walk away. Remember, if something appears to be too good to be true, it often is.

Know Your Code

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