Our son has had a letter from a debt collection company saying he has an outstanding penalty notice from Transport for London for non-payment of Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) charges.
He hasn’t been to London, and while the car in the image looks similar to his and has the same number plate, it is a different vehicle. The picture is of a silver saloon, while he has an estate, and the car has a sunroof while his does not.
Thomas sold the car in July 2023, and the supposed offence happened in June 2023. He advertised the car on AutoTrader, showing the number plate, and I think someone has found his details and copied his number plate.
He moved house and has only just been made aware of the issue. It has gone to court and bailiffs were due to visit. He and his wife were both very worried about the letter they received, so they paid £708 to the debt collection company.
What can he do to get his money back? K.F and T.F, Preston
Key difference: Thomas Fryer’s car is an estate model, whereas the car captured by ULEX cameras was a saloon
Harvey Dorset of This is Money replies: Since the introduction of ULEZ charges in 2019, number plate cloning has been on the rise.
Unsurprisingly, the tide of charges has also given rise to a minority of people who will do anything to avoid paying their way, even if it means throwing somebody else under the bus.
According to the DVLA, more than 12,000 drivers received fines, penalties or letters due to other vehicles displaying their registration between January 2021 and September 2022.
Criminals copy legitimate license plates, using them to drive similar models of car – often stolen or being used for criminal activity – in order to avoid congestion charges, car parking charges and speeding tickets.
When the cars are caught on camera, fixed penalty notices are posted to the address of the innocent owner of the original car, often leaving them hundreds of pounds out of pocket or facing a visit from the bailiffs.
In the case of your son, he paid the penalty notice rather than risk dealing with bailiffs sent by a debt collection company, even though he knew he had never driven his car the 200-mile trip to London, from where he lives in Preston.
Similarity: Criminals look for similar car models in order to get away with parking charges, speeding tickets and ULEZ penalties – but there are some small differences between the car that Thomas owns and the one that was captured on camera
In fact, Thomas told This is Money that not only has he never driven the car in question to London, but he also hasn’t even visited the capital in the past seven years.
I got in touch with Transport for London, which administrates the ULEZ charge, to show it the evidence you had sent me and ask if it could repay your money.
I am pleased to hear that it has now issued you a full £708 refund after concluding that you were not the driver violating ULEZ rules.
However, plate cloning remains a growing issue, and more and more people are falling victim to this crime every year.
A TfL spokesman said: ‘We’re sorry that Mr Fryer has been a victim of vehicle cloning.
‘Unfortunately, as we did not receive a representation with evidence of cloning from Mr Fryer within the required time frames, the case progressed to an enforcement agent.
‘When Mr Fryer did contact us, he was advised to file an Out of Time Statutory Declaration with the Traffic Enforcement Centre.’
‘Having reviewed the case, we are satisfied that it is a cloned vehicle and have cancelled both PCNs and issued a full refund to Mr Fryer.’
How to avoid getting caught by plate cloners
Don’t post online
Avoid posting images of your car online that can be used to identify it.
Bryn Brooker, head of road safety at dashboard camera company Nextbase, says: ‘Putting a picture of your car online with your license plate number in view make it far easier for criminals to copy your license plate number, as they typically try to match plates to exact models and makes.
‘Make sure you obscure your license plate number or leave it out of the picture when posting any photos of your car online.’
Small measures: Bryn Brooker says adding identifiable features to your car can help you avoid paying someone else’s fine
Customise your car
You don’t need headlight eyelashes or neon lights adorning your car – but adding identifiers can make your license plate more difficult to clone.
Brooker suggests adding a country flag or other legal badge, which will make it slightly harder for your plate to be cloned exactly.
‘Make sure to take a photo of your car with the extra detail plate immediately so you can prove you haven’t added it on to avoid the fine,’ he says.
‘A small but clearly visible sticker on your lower windscreen can also help you to differentiate your car from anyone who spoofs it and is caught by a speed or congestion charge camera.’
Invest in a dashcam
Apart from the other benefits that a dash cam might offer, such as protecting you against insurance claims and deterring theft, they can also be used to prove that your car has been cloned.
‘Dash cams timestamp their footage, offering you another easy way to prove that you weren’t anywhere near a speed camera or crash that occurred with a spoofed plate,’ Brooker says.
‘It could also be extremely useful if someone tries to actually steal your plates or comes near your car – as it will start filming the moment the car is knocked or someone gets too close.’
