Lagondaforum

Subject: BEWARE DVLA Scam

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Most scam crap goes into my junk folder, but this one didn't, and it looks pretty convincing.

I've just stated SORN for the V12, which activity has presumably enabled this hack. It commences by stating "We have checked your last vehicle tax payment and have determinate that your payment failed
To update your data, please complete the required form with your personal information in order for DVLA to verify and process your payment."

"Determinate" is of course incorrect English. One is then invited to "Start here", followed by "Note:
In case of errors or information mismatch found in your application, your car can be crushed.

DVLA Customer - Secured E-mail -

Best Regards, Martin Tuvey
Why you got this email
The latest payment for your vehicle tax failed.
From DVLA Government Gateway"

The trick with these scams is to check the sender's email address ... in this case, "...@telenet.be"

Methinks it unlikely a UK government agency would use a Belgian email address!

With Windows Vista, one of the options available was the ability to report spam. Windows 10 ... all you can do is put it in junk or delete it. This, chaps, is an "improvement".

Take care!

Subject: Re: BEWARE DVLA Scam

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Thanks Laurence.

Out of curiosity, why did you SORN your V12? Isn’t road tax free for that age of vehicle? Is there some other benefit?

Best wishes,

David

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Subject: Re: BEWARE DVLA Scam

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Hi David,

Well, I last drove my V12 in 1983, and that was simply for a house move, otherwise 1981. Not taxed since then, and that predated the SORN arrangements with that style of V5 log book. Work and then property maintenance here have delayed recommissioning (a little). There's always something to thwart progress! We moved from that property, preparatory to moving to France, in 2008, and left things to stand which at least saved repeatedly renewing pointless SORN. Beginning to see light at end of the tunnel, so I thought I'd update to my new UK address earlier this year. All fine and new log book received in February. Nothing else from DVLA, and getting to think about it recently, I thought it's not "taxed" and it's not "SORN", perhaps I had best state SORN to save any potential issues. Yes I could "tax" it foc, but that would require insurance, the premium for which would be unsupportable for a car in pieces/not on the road, given its obscene value.

I had the V12 perhaps optimistically booked on to the Pyrenees Tour early June, so I'm probably the only participant grateful for the tour's postponement. As usual property maintenance delayed work on the V12 ... getting the engine out of the LG6 also adding to the delay. Most annoying though is that the son of an English friend over here has paint and electroplating equipment that I bought and had sent to him, as he had so volunteered and was coming over to France to visit his father 22nd February. Only he didn't arrive, just made excuses to his father, until of course, the pandemic lockdown gave him a valid reason for not making the journey. I'm at the point where I need the paint in particular, so not at all happy! So it's back to sawing up fallen trees etc. Grr!

Even worse, as the son is making the journey in his van, he is also supposed to be taking the LG6 engine back to the UK for rebuild by Paul Rogers. Grrrr!

Laurence