Drivers have been warned to look out for fake texts and emails from scammers pretending to be the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA).
Fraudsters are sending bogus messages to motorists in the hopes of scaring them into sharing private information like bank details.
In a warning about the campaign, the DVLA tweeted: "Watch out for 'phishing' text or email messages, like these. DVLA will never ask you to reply, give personal or bank details or ask you to log into an account."
The DVLA holds the records of 49 million drivers in the UK, a huge group scammers are aiming to target in the phishing scheme.
Phishing is the attempt to steal people's data by impersonating legitimate institutions.
The DVLA directed people to report phishing texts and emails to a UK Government page here.
The tweet included several screenshots of fake messages riddled with typos.
Scammers are claiming that people aren't paying vehicle tax or that their payments have been declined.
An example of a phishing email says: "DVLA have been notified electronically about your latest payment for your vehicle tax failed because there is not enough money on you [sic] debit card.
"We sent your DVLA bill, and we still haven't received payment. Acknowledge that it's illegal to drive your vehicle until you've taxed it."
It adds, "Tax your vehicle - START NOW" with a link to a malicious website and a warning that untaxed vehicles risk a fine up to £240.
Another reads: "Vehicle Tax Status - Unpaid!
"Your bank has declined twice the latest Direct Debit payment. If you will not Update your Information [sic], your vehicle is no longer taxed.
"Note: our system will automatically retry the billing process once your billing details have been updated. It can take up to 5 working days for the records to update"
The email directs the reader to continue to a sham payment page.
DVLA's warning follows news about increased car taxes in 2022 with the road tax set to increase for almost all cars.
The new tax rates will 'punish' diesel and petrol drivers in particular.
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