Learner drivers are being conned by crooks offering fake tests and bogus lessons

High street bank TSB saw a 211% jump in total losses to this type of fraud this year with the average loss for victims at £244 after crooks con learner drivers our of cash

More learner drivers are being conned by crooks offering fake tests and bogus lessons.

Bank TSB said it saw a 211% jump in total losses to this type of fraud this year. It said the average loss for victims is £244.

And it is feared that driving test backlogs could benefit scammers as learners try to fast-track a spot.

Alex Robinson, head of fraud analytics at TSB, said: “Fraudsters have really upped their attempts to target learner drivers – with offers of driving lessons and fast-tracked tests that simply don’t exist.

“Almost all of these scams start from social media platforms – so we’d advise only paying for a service if you can verify it first, and stick to official routes when booking your exam.

“Don’t let a fraudster put the brakes on learning to drive.”

One scam saw a person pay £500 for 20 lessons up-front only for contact to dry up when the payment was made.

Fake DVSA (Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency) websites have also been created with several customers duped into paying for a test.

A DVSA spokesperson said: “We urge people to report any suspicious social media accounts offering driving services to the relevant social media network.”

This news comes as the number of road policing officers in England and Wales has fallen by more than a fifth in the last decade, according to new research.

There were 3,889 officers working in traffic units on roads at the end of March, analysis by the RAC found.

That was a drop of 22% from 5,005 on the same date in 2015.

RAC head of policy Simon Williams called for the reduction in traffic officers to be reversed or “significant new measures” to crack down on those who break road rules.

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