MailOnline has discovered unscrupulous mechanics selling ‘ghost MOTs’ on social media as the government rushes to clamp down on the illegal practice.
‘Ghost’ or ‘Bluetooth’ MOTs are fraudulent MOTs in which mechanics provide certification for an under-the-counter fee without bringing the car into the garage.
Currently estimated to make up 80 per cent of all fraudulent MOTs, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has now introduced new rules designed to stop ghost MOTs.
But on Instagram, TikTok, and Telegram, MailOnline discovered numerous accounts still offering to provide fraudulent MOTs for as little as £100.
In a simple online process, drivers provide their vehicle’s number plate, vehicle identification number (VIN), and mileage.
With those details provided, a potentially unsafe car can be certified and back on the road in just two days without a mechanic ever looking at the vehicle.
Under the DVSA’s new rules, mechanics will need to provide a photo of the car on the shop’s ramp in order to certify the MOT.
But that’s not stopping shameless ghost MOT providers, who have revealed plans to use AI tools to get around the new rules.
On TikTok (right) and Instagram (left), mechanics are offering to give MOT certificates to cars remotely without inspecting the vehicle
What are ghost MOTs?
Normally, for a car to be road-legal, it must pass a yearly inspection to ensure that it passes safety and emissions standards.
But for those who can’t pass those standards, ghost MOTs are a way of getting around the normal checks.
Instead of taking your car into a garage and having it inspected as normal, ghost MOT providers simply take down the car’s details and fill out the paperwork as if they had inspected it.
For garages, the financial incentives are enormous with the price of a ghost MOT commanding up to four times that of a legitimate inspection without any of the work.
For some unscrupulous drivers, the practice allows them to get their cars back on the road for less money than it would cost to fix them and get properly certified.
One driver, who requested to remain anonymous, told MailOnline that they were ‘amazed how quick and easy it was get a ghost.’
‘I had some surface rust on my car and, although it was safe enough to drive, I was told that a harsh inspector could fail it,’ they said.
Among car enthusiasts, especially collectors of modified or vintage cars, ghost MOTs are exceedingly common. These allow cars that would otherwise not pass the MOT to drive on the road with all the necessary certification
‘I had heard about a guy through word of mouth and it was just a case of sending the money and the details and then, three days later, I got the MOT.
‘I paid him £170, which was a lot more than a real MOT, but I’d already spent £2,000 on the car and knew it would be about £2,000 more to fix it if I failed.’
The driver added that ghosts were extremely common among car enthusiasts, especially among those with an interest in vintage or modified cars.
They said: ‘Ghosts are fairly common, almost everyone in my friendship group of car enthusiasts has had one at some point.
‘It’ll often be because they need an MOT as soon as possible and they know that if they call up a guy they’ll be able to get one over the phone.
‘Some people like to chop their cars up to get them as low as possible, and they know they’ll never pass the MOT so they just get a ghost instead.’
MailOnline also spoke with a ghost MOT broker going by the name Mohammedali Sohaib.
Sohaib operates a ghost MOT service which advertises on Instagram and TikTok, linking customers to a group on the encrypted messaging service Telegram.
Inside a chat on the encrypted messaging app Telegram, a ghost MOT provider shares reviews from their customers showing approved MOT certifications
This Telegram channel is filled with screenshots of conversations showing customers receiving their MOT certificates.
Speaking to the MailOnline, Sohaib says: ‘Not everyone can afford to fix there [sic] cars or will fail on silly stuff so there would be no supply without demand.’
Sohaib adds that he would ‘never pass a s***box’ and that he always asks for pictures and videos of the engine running before arranging the service.
However, the DVSA argues that drivers with fraudulent MOTs undermine the safety of the roads for everyone.
Last year, mechanics Darren Hoare and Stephen White were sentenced to jail for issuing fraudulent MOT certificates.
Judge Paul Hobson, who oversaw the case, stated that the pair had ‘gambled with people’s lives’ by failing to perform the proper checks.
How are ghost MOTs sold on social media?
While garages prepared to offer fraudulent MOTs generally share their details by word of mouth, some have taken to social media to advertise their services.
On Instagram, ghost MOT providers openly advertise the fact that they provide fraudulent certifications
On Instagram, MailOnline found numerous accounts offering to provide Ghost MOTs for a fee.
Through their posts, these accounts proudly advertised that they would certify any car, with some specifically stating that they offered ‘Passes Without Seeing Vehicle’.
In a post with almost 2,000 likes, one Instagram account named @vehiclehubuk wrote: ‘We have access to three MOT testers we use around the UK. Any of these will carry the test out without the vehicle present based on the info you supply.’
Likewise, after a brief search, MailOnline found several accounts openly selling fraudulent MOTs on TikTok.
In one video, an account named @ukmotandinsurance wrote: ‘All classes tested from the comfort of your own home’.
One account, using the handle ‘The Certi Team’, advertised their services on both Instagram and TikTok.
MailOnline contacted the account on Instagram, posing as a buyer, and was quickly directed to join a Telegram chat to discuss prices.
In a group with 214 members, the seller also advertised fraudulent car and business insurance documents, including food insurance used to register with Uber Eats or Just Eats.
One ghost MOT provider, going by the handle thecertiteam, was found to be advertising their services on both Instagram and TikTok
After following the Instagram account, MailOnline posed as a buyer seeking a ghost MOT and was invited to join a closed Telegram group
The account’s spokesperson offered to sell MailOnline a fraudulent MOT for £200, saying that it would be completed in under 48 hours. Pictured: The Certi Team representative’s Telegram profile picture
The account operator told MailOnline to send the VIN, mileage, car registration, and a photo of the vehicle to receive a MOT for £200.
The account operator insisted that the MOT would be received in ‘under 48 hours’ and that the car could be driven ‘as soon as you get your certificate’.
MailOnline was able to arrange the purchase of a fraudulent MOT within half an hour of contacting the Instagram page.
However, it is not clear how many of these accounts actually offer ghost MOTs and how many are scammers looking to take money from those in search of illegal services.
After MailOnline shared the account details with TikTok, the site removed the accounts for violating the community guidelines on fraud and scams.
TikTok insists that it does ‘not allow attempts to defraud or scam members of our community’.
Instagram was also contacted for comment and says that it is ‘investigating’ the content flagged.
As of the time of writing, only one of the accounts brought to Instagram’s attention has been removed and the remaining accounts are still active.
The fraudulent accounts have now been removed from TikTok after MailOnline alerted the company to their existence
However, a number of fraudulent accounts such as ghost_mot remain active and continue to advertise ghost MOT services on TikTok
How is the government cracking down on ghost MOTs?
In February, the DVSA announced that it was introducing a new set of rules that were designed to prevent ghost MOTs.
The new rules, which are currently being trialled in a small number of garages, will require MOT providers to take a picture of the car being inspected on the ramp in the garage.
Chris Price, head of MOT policy at DVSA, told MailOnline: ‘As part of this ongoing trial, testers will be asked to upload an image in real time to demonstrate that the right vehicle was present at the time of the test.
‘Taking photos at test will be a helpful enabler in providing us with further information to target our enforcement efforts while also acting as another deterrent to those looking to undermine the MOT’s veracity.’
Although it won’t stop MOT providers from accepting bribes to overlook details, this should make it harder to issue a ghost MOT without the car being present.
A driver who has used ghost MOTs in the past, and spoke to MailOnline under conditions of anonymity, said: ‘Generally it’s getting harder to run sketchy cars now because the police are more aware of it.
‘There will still be dodgy MOTs but garages are pretty sure that this is the end of the ghost MOT now you need a picture of the car.’
In a recent update to the rules, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) now requires a photo of the vehicle being tested. This is designed to make it impossible for garages to offer ghost MOTs
Some ghost MOT providers certainly seem to be taking this as a sign to stop the practice.
Sohaib says: ‘I would probably stop by the time those rules are implemented. It’s not worth the risk.’
However, Sohaib also believes that some mechanics will keep looking for a way around the restrictions.
‘I think it will still be possible. AI is always evolving. There are lots of tools to make a picture of a car in a garage,’ says Sohaib.
Likewise, the announcement of the DVLA’s plans has not stopped these services from being sold on social media.
When asked whether the new requirements would be a problem, The Certi Team’s representative told MailOnline: ‘I just need a photo of your car… rest we will sort out.’
The representative added: ‘We will use AI and do the rest.’
They also noted that the ‘new regulations’ meant the cost of a ghost MOT had increased from £150 to £200.
A ghost MOT provider tells MailOnline that they can use AI to bypass the DVSA’s requirements that the vehicle be photographed on the ramp at the testing centre
It isn’t clear whether these supposed AI techniques would really bypass the DVSA’s new tools or whether this is simply another part of the scam.
However, in either case, it is clear that some people are determined to make money from ghost MOTs no matter how the law changes to stop them.
Mr Price, says: ‘DVSA’s priority of protecting the public from unsafe vehicles is evidenced by our commitment to trialling new ways of tackling MOT fraud.
‘DVSA enforcement examiners will continue to play a key role in tackling fraud and improving the quality of testing.’
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