A sneaky number plate scam is costing Aussies thousands

There’s a new number plate scam making the rounds and it’s costing innocent Aussie motorists thousands. 

The National Roads Motorists’ Association (NRMA) has warned drivers to beware of scammers doctoring license plates, and racking up thousands in tolls, parking and speeding fines at their victim’s expense. 

NRMA’s Peter Khoury told Starts at 60 that criminals are targeting cars of the same make and colour as their own, noting its plate and printing a copy to stick to the front of their cars. They then carry on driving around town racking up speeding fines, toll fares and parking tickets, all in their victim’s name. 

“It’s really something that’s been brought to our attention probably over the last 12 months and I think a big concern is, the fact that now you’ve got 3D printing and digital printing technology, that technology allows people to start doing this and that’s when it’s dangerous,” Khoury said. 

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So how can you stop this happening to you? Unfortunately, Khoury says it’s “very difficult” to avoid since the scammers can literally spot your car in your driveway and copy down the plate details. Not all hope is lost though and there are extra steps you can take to protect yourself from the scam. 

Khoury says a lot of this fraudulent behaviour is coming from social media and car-selling sites and warned people to be careful of where you post photos of your vehicle, especially if you’re selling your car online as “criminals are going on those websites and duplicating that information and then using it to conduct criminal activities”.

An Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) spokesperson said in a statement: “If you take a picture of your car, don’t include the registration plate and don’t post it online as it may give criminals access to your plate”. 

If you receive a fine or toll fee and you know it wasn’t you, Khoury says “there’s a good chance someone’s out there with a replica license plate of yours”.

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If you receive a fine and suspect your license plate has been duplicated, contact police immediately and file a report. When you fill out the statutory form attached to your fine, make sure you include information about the police report and note that you believe you are the victim of a scam.

“If your number plates have been stolen or cloned seek advice from your local state traffic or road authority and contact the police,” ACCC added. 

Have you heard of this scam before? Are you confident you’d be able to identify a scam?