Issues with the driving test market mean learners often have to wait six months for a test date – or pay hundreds of pounds to a ‘middleman’ to get an earlier date.
While test shortages were initially caused by the pandemic, opportunists have taken advantage of high demand, using bots to secure driving tests, which they sell on third-party platforms for huge profits.
‘Scalper bots’ buying up test slots
Cyberfraud expert DataDome data found that even simple bots that can be easily created by fraudsters with only a basic understanding of coding are able to successfully book driving test appointments.
These scalper bots can complete booking forms in fewer than 10 seconds, well above the four minutes it takes a genuine learner. This means that when new driving test slots are released each week on a Monday morning, the bots can snap up thousands of test slots in minutes. These are then sold on for a hefty fee, despite new legislation introduced by the DVSA towards the end of last year.
Clampdown on touts
In December 2024, the DVSA announced it planned to reduce practical driving test times to seven weeks by December 2025. It unveiled new rules stipulating driving instructors were no longer able to buy driving tests for learner drivers they are not teaching, which aimed to clamp down on ‘touts’ reselling test slots for a profit.
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But DataDome found that as of April 2025, driving tests remain incredibly difficult for learner drivers in the UK to secure, meaning many are now facing an average wait of six months, leading many learners’ theory tests to expire.
DataDome’s investigation revealed touts are reselling driving tests (which cost £65 through the official DVSA website) for up to £250 on social media platforms such as WhatsApp and Facebook. Some touts brag of making thousands of pounds per day and, crucially, it is still not illegal to resell a driving test in the UK.
ID theft threat
Datadome also found that beyond fraudsters selling tests for hugely inflated prices, some bad actors are even requesting learners’ driving licence information and personal details to book tests on their behalf.
This opens up a new threat, with these bad actors able to use unsuspecting learners’ details to take out credit cards or loans. Without measures in place to prevent scalper bots, learners will be forced to continue risking their personal information in the hopes of securing their driving licence.
Weak points in DVSA systems
The investigation revealed that bots are still able to easily access the DVSA test booking system, identifying several weak points:
- Only partial bot protection: The site only uses security measures on select endpoints, leaving other areas exposed.
- Weak CAPTCHA implementation: A simple CAPTCHA is required at the beginning of the booking process, but once passed, there are no further checks.
- Even a simple DIY bot could snap up tests: DataDome’s investigation team was able to successfully book appointments using an open-source bot framework with minimal configuration and a CAPTCHA-solving service.
Fraudsters ‘bragging’
Benjamin Barrier, co-founder of DataDome, said: “Our investigation has uncovered serious problems with the current driving test system in the UK. While the DVSA has tried to introduce changes to make it easier for learners to secure that crucial test slot, they’ve neglected to address one crucial issue: bots. Even novices with a basic understanding of coding can create their own ‘DIY scalper bot’, which can successfully snap up a test in less than 10 seconds.
“We learnt that fraudsters are bragging about making thousands of pounds a day reselling driving tests on the black market, via social media platforms and elsewhere. For a long time now, bots have been able to buy up valuable limited items – like concert tickets or limited-edition sneakers. But this is a different story: we can’t allow bots to be used to profit off basic Government services that everyone should have access to.”
Last month saw Lloyds Bank record a 92% increase in driving lesson and test scams over the past six months – prompting the bank to issue a warning to learner drivers.
A DVSA spokesperson said: “DVSA’s priority is to reduce driving test waiting times – we’re working on implementing our 7-point plan to achieve this. The measures will help make the driving test booking system fairer for learners, better protecting them from exploitation.
“Driving instructors must only book one slot per learner driver that they provide instruction to, using the learner’s unique driving number.
“GOV.UK is the only official way to book your practical driving test, and we urge people to report any social media channels or posts offering unofficial test slots or bookings to the social media network.”
