Greatest Hits Radio have recently revealed the number of people getting illegal MOTs, also known as a “ghost MOT,” has doubled in one year.
A ‘ghost MOT’ is a legal certificate issued for a vehicle that has not actually been tested or has failed. Figures from a Freedom of Information request to the DVSA show the number of UK vehicles found with a fraudulent MOT rose from 976 in 2023 to 1,809 in 2024.
Jack Cousens, Head of road policy at the AA, noted the motivation: “people are paying more for these to avoid the more expensive costs of repairs.” He added that in eight out of ten cases, “people don’t even get their car seen by a garage.” Fraudsters commonly advertise these tests online, inviting customers to a private chat on platforms like Telegram or WhatsApp to arrange payment and issue a certificate via email.
Mr Cousens warned that this practice is “clearly incredibly dangerous. Vehicles need to undergo their annual MOT test to ensure we’ve got the safest vehicles on our roads. This is putting other people at risk of danger.” He suggested that, in the majority of cases, it involves people with highly modified cars who seek to avoid official testing.
A DVSA spokesperson said the agency has “taken action to reassure drivers their vehicle’s MOT will be conducted to the correct standard.” This includes the Photos of Vehicles at MOT trial, which requires testers to photograph the vehicle to prove it is in the garage. The DVSA is also using AI and ANPR to detect fraud.
Mr Cousens called the DVSA’s efforts “good” but insisted more action is required against online advertising: “We need DVSA to keep putting pressure on those social media sites. We also need the social media sites themselves to realise that this is an illegal practice and uphold their own guidelines.”
Source: Hello Rayo
