Government Impersonation6 min readPublished 11 July 2026 · Updated 21 September 2026
DVLA and Council Tax Scam Texts: How to Spot Government Impersonation
Learn how to verify a message that claims to be from the DVLA, a council tax department, TV Licensing, or another government body.
A message claiming that your vehicle tax or council tax is overdue and demanding immediate payment through a link is an impersonation warning sign. Do not let the official name in the message replace an independent check through GOV.UK or your council’s known website.
DVLA Scam Texts
DVLA scam texts typically claim that your vehicle tax is about to expire, that you are owed a refund, or that there is a problem with your driving licence. They include a link to a fake DVLA website that harvests your payment details or personal information.
Do not use a link in an unexpected DVLA message to make a payment or enter personal information. Check vehicle-tax information by navigating independently to the relevant GOV.UK service rather than using the message's link.
Council Tax Scam Texts
These messages may claim you are owed a council tax rebate, that a direct debit has failed, or that you face legal action for non-payment. Do not use an unsolicited payment link; find your council's contact details independently and ask it to confirm whether there is an issue.
TV Licensing Scams
TV Licensing scam emails and texts claim your licence has expired, that a payment has failed, or that you are being investigated for not having a licence. They create urgency and direct you to a fake payment page. Check your TV Licensing status directly at tvlicensing.co.uk.
How to Identify Government Impersonation Scams
| Real Government Contact | Scam |
|---|---|
| Uses .gov.uk domain | Uses lookalike domain (dvla-gov.uk, council-tax-refund.co.uk) |
| Sends important notices by post | Demands immediate action by text or email |
| Never asks for card details by text | Requests payment via link |
| Provides reference numbers you can verify | Generic or no reference number |
What to Do
Do not click any links. Go independently to the relevant GOV.UK or council website to check your status. Forward suspicious texts to 7726. If you have lost money or shared details, contact your bank and report the incident through Report Fraud.
Check the link without opening it
Copy the domain or sender number into ScammersCheck, then navigate independently to the relevant GOV.UK or council service. Do not enter registration numbers, addresses, payment details, or one-time codes into the checker, and do not assume a clean result proves that a government message is genuine.
Source note: Use GOV.UK phishing-reporting guidance and verify vehicle-tax information through GOV.UK vehicle tax. The examples are illustrative composites.
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