DVLA Tax Refund Email - Scam?

notjustamum · 10 June 2017 at 7:03PM

I recently bought a 13 plate car from a dealership and used my knackered old car as part-ex. I had 9 months road tax left on my old one and the salesman said when the V5 was received by DVLA I would automatically receive a refund of the 8 complete months left of the old tax. I checked online and it did state this on the DVLA website. I received the V5 yesterday by post.

Just checking my junk folder before deleting everything in it and I came across an email from donotreply.evl@dvla.gsi.gov stating that I must click on a link and complete the form to receive a refund for my road tax. The form asks for my full name, maiden name (I've been married 20 years), full address, name of bank, long debit card number, start date, expiry date, sort code, issue number, security number on the back & mothers maiden name! Surely they don't need all this! I asked on another forum and people said they have had tax confirmation emails from the same email address so it must be genuine. I'm beginning to wonder though as I haven't had the automatic refund and it's 2 weeks now. I just don't feel comfortable putting all that information.

What do you all think?

Marvel1 · 10 June 2017 at 7:07PM

Scam, do not click on the link - if you hover over the link, look at the bottom of the browser at the address - but do not click it.

The bank details alone is a give away - everything needed to make an online purchase. Mother's maiden name is asked as it's the most common forgot password reminder.

I have had some from Paypal, Amazon, Halifax etc - all looking legit email addresses as they are easily spoofed.

AdrianC · 10 June 2017 at 7:07PM

No, you don't need to do all that. It's a scam.

The refund is sent as a cheque (remember them?) payable to the registered keeper at the address on the V5C.

General_Grant · 10 June 2017 at 7:09PM

notjustamum wrote: »

I recently bought a 13 plate car from a dealership and used my knackered old car as part-ex. I had 9 months road tax left on my old one and the salesman said when the V5 was received by DVLA I would automatically receive a refund of the 8 complete months left of the old tax. I checked online and it did state this on the DVLA website. I received the V5 yesterday by post.

Just checking my junk folder before deleting everything in it and I came across an email from [EMAIL="donotreply.evl@dvla.gsi.gov.uk"]donotreply.evl@dvla.gsi.gov.uk[/EMAIL] stating that I must click on a link and complete the form to receive a refund for my road tax. The form asks for my full name, maiden name (I've been married 20 years), full address, name of bank, long debit card number, start date, expiry date, sort code, issue number, security number on the back & mothers maiden name! Surely they don't need all this! I asked on another forum and people said they have had tax confirmation emails from the same email address so it must be genuine. I'm beginning to wonder though as I haven't had the automatic refund and it's 2 weeks now. I just don't feel comfortable putting all that information.

What do you all think?

I'd be suspicious.
Though the email is said to be from a gsi that could be a fabrication.
It is the link which needs to be really genuine. Does that seem correct?
Could you phone them - via a number available on their genuine website - to find out if that is how they operate?

ETA - I see others have clear knowledge that suspicion was justified. And I also have a feeling that the gsi addresses are phased out (or may be about to be).

loskie · 10 June 2017 at 7:32PM

a cheque will arrive to the regd keeper at their address usually very promptly too. ignore email

AdrianC · 10 June 2017 at 7:34PM

General_Grant wrote: »

Though the email is said to be from a gsi that could be a fabrication.

ETA - I see others have clear knowledge that suspicion was justified. And I also have a feeling that the gsi addresses are phased out (or may be about to be).

From: email addresses are trivially easy to forge.

System · 10 June 2017 at 10:18PM

Here's an example of what could happen if you clicked on the link (don't worry, this is safe.)

donotreply.evl@dvla.gsi.gov.uk

As you can see, just because your email client says it is that address it doesn't mean that is where you end up when you click on it.

In this case the link takes you to somewhere safe. In your case it is going to take you to a page that looks the same as one from DVLA but actually isn't.

One thing I like about the mail client in Mac OSX is if you hover your cursor over a link it shows the true address.

shaun_from_Africa · 10 June 2017 at 10:28PM

I would also suggest contacting Actionfraud:
http://www.actionfraud.police.uk/
and tell them exactly what has happened.

It can't be a coincidence that you received this e-mail at exactly the same time as you were expecting a genuine refund from the DVLA so it's possible that someone from either the dealership you purchased the car from or someone working at the DVLA are involved in the scam.

onomatopoeia99 · 10 June 2017 at 11:07PM

A sender can set the From address to whatever they like in email, so you should not rely on other people getting email with the same from address.

It's the like receving a letter. If you get a letter from "Mrs T. May, 10 Downing Street", anyone in the country could have sent it. The Royal Mail do not authenticate the sender of a mail before delivering it to an addressee. Email is the same, although there are some things that try (SPF, DKIM), but they cause more trouble than they're worth IMO.

parking_question_chap · 11 June 2017 at 9:40AM

Go on DVLA website via Google
Find phone number or email
Tell them about scam

Why on earth do people think an email asking for FULL card details might be legit?

Great you have asked, but common sense surely!

rich13348 · 11 June 2017 at 10:04AM

This is a scam. As said above you will get a cheque in the post. Mine came rather rapidly. If its been a couple of weeks phone the DVLA and ask them about it.

Just because you received the V5 for your new car doesn't mean they have received the V5 for your old car. And its the old V5 they need to process a refund.

Did you send send off the yellow vehicle moved to motor trade slip and leave the rest of the V5 with the garage. There is an option to do the trade online which is instant and you don't have to worry about the vagaries of the royal mail.

DVLA Tax Refund Email - Scam?

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