What should I do about potential driving test booking scam?

[kmo0416]

I’m very upset and scared right now.

So, as you may or may not be aware, there is a massive scarcity of driving tests in the UK, largely due to scammers getting bots to buy up all the test slots and then reselling them at extortionate sums.

I have long been desperate for a driving test and though I had one booked for February 2026, I wanted one ASAP. So, I contacted a purported driving test reseller on Tiktoker to inquire about the possibility of getting an early driving test and they said they had one available for September at my preferred test centre and sent me a screenshot. Just for the record, I’d been irregularly messaging this account on TikTok for 2 months asking about driving tests and they’d often say they had a test available but then later say because they operate a first-come-first service, I had missed out so the test was sold. This made them seem legitimate as even though they were ripping people off, they seem to at least be booking the test. They didn’t seem desperate for my money.

So, when the opportunity arose today for an early to be booked with them, I grabbed it. They started messaging me on WhatsApp after I gave them my phone number and they asked to confirm I wanted them test and I agreed. They then asked for details like my full name, dat of birth, license details etc. I was reluctant to give these but knew that they were the only way they could book the test so wasn’t suspicious. They also asked for my email address to confirm the test booking as the booking confirmation would be sent there and here, I sought to exercise a degree of anonymity by giving them an email I rarely use - though I assume if they were going to commit identity theft not giving my main email address to them but giving them everything else wouldn’t go so far.

They charged £200 and asked me to pay first. Again, I expected this as it’s what most resellers do. And they also, weirdly, asked me to send screenshots of proof of the payment ie the bank transaction and so I did it.

Then, they said they’d book the test.

30 minutes passed and nothing happened so I texted them and they said they were busy finishing up the booking of another “client”. 30 minutes later they said they’d booked my appointment, but nothing came. I do now that DVSA emails for booking confirmation are not always instantaneous and sometimes take up to 30 minutes - a couple of hours. So I waited and am still waiting.

However, I logged into my DVSA account online to check if the booking had been made and there was no booking it just said “cancelled” - a reflection of my prior cancellation of the February 2026 test. So, either they haven’t booked anything for me or there is a delay, but usually there isn’t such a delay in the website showing the updated profile with the new test booking.

Now, I am worried that this may be a scam due to all of this but also because when I was processing the payment with the details they gave, the name and account number were said by my bank not to match for some reason.

Although I obviously don’t want to lose money, that isn’t my main concern. I’m more worried that with access to my license details, they can now constantly log into my future test bookings and cancel them to sell to someone else or disrupt me or that there could be identity theft.

Maybe they are being honest and I still have to wait.

But, what if they aren’t?

Right now they haven’t been responding to my texts.

Would I have to get a new license or get DVSA to book secure tests? But, how since I sometimes use apps like TestShift to bring forward my test date and those constitute changing test dates so I don’t want to just freeze my account every time I book a test in the future.

And what about the money? Nationwide claims they help with refunds for scams ONLY if they didn’t warn against giving the money. Nationwide didn’t try to stop me but they did give the regular flags about how there was potential for fraudulent activity since it was a new payee and because the account name and number didn’t match etc. Plus, the account was Revolut that I was paying to so I’m not sure if that’s dodgy.

Edit: great, they’ve blocked me on TikTok. So I’ve been scammed. I want to cry. What should I do?

So sorry to hear this has happened to you. Didn’t want to read and run - the only advice I have is to report it to Action Fraud. They should hopefully be able to advise you further. Good luck x

Phone your bank, freeze your account and get it transferred to a new account. You say they have screenshots of your bank transaction, plus your driving licence and personal details. Contact DVLA immediately and also get the licence cancelled and reissued with a new number (I don't know if this is possible but, if it is, you really need to do it).
Sorry, but losing your driving test is only the start of the problem; they will be after your money and using your identity. Contact Action Fraud online or by calling 0300 123 2040.
I'm so sorry this has happened to you.

Live and learn. Just do it the proper way, on the official site even if you do have to wait longer for a test.

Resellers ARE scammers - you chose to try and jump the queue by purchasing from a reseller who a scammer. The DVSA doesn't license any service/person to resell test slots - and to be frank, everyone knows this. There is no such thing as a legitimate reseller. There just isn't. My goddaughter is 18 and has been waiting for her test for eight months and has only just got her date via the legitimate process - it was a nightmare, the government need to do better, but paying to get ahead of other people is foul and actually means that people with less access to money are pushed further to the back of the queue. It's a horrible lesson for you to learn - but it is a lesson. Don't try and jump the queue - it's also illegal by the way. No one is saying the current system is easy but being complicit in committing fraud compounds the problem. You've acted in poor faith.

You do realise that the official site is an absolute disaster zone? A bun fight at 6am on Monday morning where you find yourself in a queue of 15,000 people/bots and then when you get in there are none left? People like OP are being driven to desperate measures just to get a test slot. The government is responsible and should be ashamed.

From AI

🔒 1. Protect their DVSA account

• Log in to their DVSA account and change the password immediately.
• Contact DVSA customer services directly (using the official gov.uk page) and explain that their licence details were shared with a scammer. Ask DVSA to:
• monitor for unusual cancellations,
• confirm whether a new licence number is needed, and
• advise on extra security.

🛡 2. Reduce identity theft risks

• Because the scammer now has name, DOB, licence number, and an email, it’s sensible to:
• Sign up for free credit report checks (Experian, Equifax, TransUnion).
• Consider CIFAS Protective Registration to add extra ID verification if anyone tries to open credit in their name.

📢 3. Report the fraud

• File a report with Action Fraud (the UK’s national reporting centre for fraud and cybercrime). They’ll get a crime reference number.
• Notify DVSA so they’re aware scammers are exploiting test bookings.
• Report the TikTok account through the app so it can be investigated/removed.

💸 4. Try to recover the money

• Because the payment was made by bank transfer to a Revolut account, this counts as an Authorised Push Payment (APP) scam.
• They should immediately:
• Contact their bank (e.g. Nationwide) and say:
• “I’ve been the victim of an Authorised Push Payment scam. I transferred money to a fraudulent account. Please raise an APP fraud claim and request a recall of the funds.”
• Provide screenshots of chats, proof of payment, and evidence that the scammer has blocked them.
• Even if the bank flagged warnings at the time, it’s still worth pursuing — banks who signed the CRM code often reimburse victims in these cases.

🚗 5. Booking going forward

• Avoid test resellers on social media — they are almost always scams.
• Use only legitimate apps and services (like Testi, Driving Test Now, or TestShift) which work by scanning DVSA cancellations and don’t resell stolen slots.

✅ Reassurance to pass on:

• It’s very likely this scammer only wanted the £200, not full-blown identity theft.
• With quick action (changing DVSA login + credit monitoring), the risk of lasting damage is low.
• Reporting to the bank and Action Fraud gives the best chance of getting money back.

I think everyone who has been learning or knows someone who is learning knows how bad it is. My dd had to wait nine months because it took me three months to get a test at the 6am on Monday war zone and then it was six months away. And not at our test centre, she had to do it in a place she had never been in her life.

But paying someone on TikTok £200 is one hell of a risky move. I can’t see how anyone could think it wasn’t risky. The very nature of someone selling tests is dodgy.

If you book with a dodgy site instead of through normal channels - it’s on you!
My partner is a driving instructor and hates that people try to scam the system by buying through these crooks.
Just see it as a lesson learned and book the official way.

Yes, you're right, everyone does know and those who purchase via this route literally fund fraud. And it means people who can't afford to pay scammers are then further disadvantaged. People who think it's fine to pay fraudsters are no better than the actresses who paid to get their kids into 'good' colleges in the US - again creating system disadvantage for those who cannot afford a bribe...

My goddaughter has been learning since January 2024 and has a test in December 2025 - I logged on at 4am for a whole week to try and secure her a place. We managed it in the end and at least we aren't losing money to criminals, committing criminal acts ourselves, or lying awake worrying about the fact that we bought our way to the front of the queue through financial privilege.

But the OP has been enabling the fraudsters!
To them try to call foul and reclaim the money is even scummier.

I think you should book another test for six months time next Monday then use one of the paid apps to try and get an earlier date.

Have you looked into doing it elsewhere? Some test centres do have more tests. Or less people, I don’t know which. One of my friend’s dc did his in Newcastle which is two hours away from where we are because they released a load of tests on Saturdays.

Quite! The irony!!