Lloyds is warning learner drivers to stay vigilant when booking lessons and tests after a 92% surge in related scams over the past six months.

Victims of the scams lose £244 on average, the high street bank says, and scammers are targeting victims via a detailed three-stage process that starts on social media.

The news comes after the RAC warned towards the end of last year that learners are being exploited by a ‘driving test black market’ as long waiting lists to sit practical tests continue and slots have become hot commodities.

Fraudsters are exploiting learners who are desperate to become qualified drivers but are struggling to book lessons and tests.

Lloyds’ new warning shows that the deception begins with fraudsters posting misleading ads on social media platforms – primarily Facebook – claiming to offer discounted driving lessons. The scammers are also falsely affiliating themselves with reputable driving schools.

Victims are contacted through WhatsApp directly, with scammers asking victims to pay £150 upfront for five lessons, followed by an additional payment of up to £100 for insurance. The supposed driving instructor then doesn’t appear for the lesson, and the victims are blocked on WhatsApp.

Another frequent scam being reported uses social media ads to guarantee early or specific test slots, only for the victim to arrive for their test and find no booking exists.

Liz Ziegler, fraud prevention director at Lloyds, said: “Driving is a rite of passage for many people, and an eagerness to get behind the wheel as soon as possible – particularly if there are long waits for driving tests – can make people vulnerable to these driving scams. Always use a reputable driving instructor or company and be very wary of adverts on social media – particularly those that are suspiciously cheap, are pressure selling with time-limited offers, or ask for payment to an account held in a random name.”