UK Driving Test Scam Sells Slots for £500

A major investigation has revealed that driving instructors across the UK are being offered monthly kickbacks of up to £250 to hand over their official test-booking login details to criminal touts. With these credentials, organised groups bulk-book driving tests and resell the slots to desperate learners on social media for as much as £500, despite the official cost being no more than £75.

The scheme has fuelled an already severe backlog. Hundreds of thousands of learners are currently waiting weeks or even months to secure an appointment, and many say they have been left with little choice but to pay inflated fees to third-party sellers. Instructors contacted during the investigation described the situation as “out of control” and warned that a minority of rogue teachers are damaging the reputation of the entire profession.

Authorities have been urged to take stronger action. The DVSA says it is closing instructor accounts found to be breaching booking rules and stresses it has “zero tolerance” for anyone exploiting learner drivers. Meanwhile, new reforms planned for the spring aim to limit the ability of intermediaries to manipulate test availability by restricting bookings to learners themselves.

According to BBC findings, some touts claim to work with hundreds of instructors, using stolen or purchased login details to flood the booking system and monopolise available test slots.

Screenshots and conversations reviewed by the BBC suggest the illegal operation spans major cities, including London, Birmingham and Manchester, with resellers advertising hundreds of appointments daily.

Parents and young drivers told the BBC they felt exploited, with several saying they had been forced to pay touts because no official test dates were available for months.

As the government prepares new rules to counter the abuse, learners and instructors alike are calling for urgent reforms to protect legitimate candidates and restore fairness to the system.