New taskforce to stop fraudsters selling driver demerit points

A new taskforce has been created to crack down on the flourishing black market of driver demerit points that enables motorists to flout the road safety system.

Fraudsters are using Facebook Marketplace to sell demerit points for as little as $70 each, with the state government launching a new taskforce to stamp out the illegal activity.

The Daily Telegraph can reveal that a Demerit Point Integrity Taskforce has been launched to crack down on drivers exploiting the system, including by racking up hundreds of demerit points on a foreign licence.

The crackdown comes after The Telegraph revealed that a French delivery driver was able to incur a staggering 385 demerit points since the start of the year.

The 24-year-old is not alone in accruing an astonishing number of demerits. As of June 30, 44 NSW licence holders have inexplicably have 100 demerit points or more.

Across NSW, 1,340 drivers have 20 or more points. Most drivers are suspended once they cop 13 demerit points to their licence.

Fraudsters are purporting to sell demerit points on Facebook Marketplace and in private groups. Picture: Supplied

The taskforce will be charged with busting the dodgy black market sale of points, where drivers pay for someone else to cop the blame.

The scheme is widespread on Meta’s Facebook, where The Telegraph found multiple groups and pages are dedicated to swapping and selling demerit points.

Sellers are also creating Facebook Marketplace listings offering to sell points.

The dodgy black market scheme can work by the seller falsely claiming they were behind the wheel when the buyer committed the offence.

Falsely taking demerit points is illegal and can incur a maximum court penalty of $5000. Someone who falsely nominates another driver could cop a $818 fine or up to $11,000 if taken to court.

A delivery motor scooter rider has accumulated hundreds of demerit points in four months.

Fraudsters advertise their demerit points in private groups. Pictures: Supplied

In one advertisement, a seller was charging $600 to cop to an offence incurring a $514 fine and up to six demerit points.

“You won’t find anyone else who can do this the way I do, I do not charge you anything until you can see it’s updated your end,” the advertisement said.

Another assured potential buyers that they were “not a scam”.

“We do all fines, no payment till it has been submitted and removed of ur (sic) nsw app once removed of ur (sic) name then you pay so you know it is not a scam,” it said.

Extra penalties may also be imposed on drivers who clock up excessive numbers of demerit points. Currently, a driver who incurs 13 points receives the same five-month suspension as someone with 20 or more.

Roads Minister John Graham wants the practice stamped out. Picture: Gaye Gerard

Demerit points should be a deterrent against speeding. Picture: Monique Harmer

The taskforce will examine who is eligible to apply for a good behaviour period instead of a suspension, the ability of drivers to be back on the road between suspensions, and rental companies accessing someone’s driving history before renting out a vehicle.

It will run for three months before reporting back to the government.

Roads Minister John Graham said it was the “right time” to review the demerit point system, first designed more than 50 years ago.

“The NSW government has zero tolerance for anyone trying to subvert the system. There is one set of road rules and they apply equally to all,” he said.

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Originally published as New taskforce to stop fraudsters selling driver demerit points