Authorities are urging motorists not to rely on online services that claim to erase fines and demerit points, warning the practice is illegal and can lead to far more severe penalties.
Dozens of social media accounts, particularly on Facebook, have been promoting websites that promise to “clear fines and demerit points from your account in just a few minutes”.
One such service reportedly charges up to $600 to remove a $544 red-light infringement and three demerit points.
Users are asked to provide personal details – including their full name and contact number – before paying via bank transfer or even cryptocurrency once the fine appears to have been cleared.
However, several motorists say the supposed “fix” quickly unravels.
One person reported that their fine reappeared in their Service NSW account two weeks later, resulting in more than $7,000 in penalties for making a false nomination, in addition to the original offence.
A Facebook account linked to one of the websites has been actively advertising in community groups, offering to take penalties on behalf of drivers and promising cash incentives to those who refer others.
“If ur down for making alot of extra cash and I mean alot I have a very simple business format (sic),” one post reads.
“Just do what ever you want to spread the word and advertise that you can get fines cleared.
“You don’t have to know any of these people and just post.”
A Transport for NSW spokesperson said the agency is aware of the websites and “want to make it very clear that this practice is illegal”.
“You can buy and sell many things online, but trading in demerit points could cost you much more than you think,” Transport for NSW said.
“If you’re caught falsely nominating someone else to take your demerit points, you could face fines of up to $11,000.
“Transport works closely with enforcement agencies and social media platforms to stop the illegal trading of demerit points and remind drivers that this practice is against the law.
“The demerit points system is about keeping our roads safe. It ensures that drivers who repeatedly break the rules are held accountable. Defrauding this system undermines road safety for everyone.”
The NSW Government announced in December 2024 that its taskforce, working with Australian Border Force, had closed a loophole that enabled widespread trading of demerit points, particularly through international licence holders.
“The Taskforce has identified widespread nominations of other drivers on international licences as a weakness in the system that must be tightened,” a government statement said.
“An individual in one extreme case racked up more than 1500 demerit points, and two others more than 500 demerits, before the system caught up with them.”
Police also revealed that one Sydney address had been used by 30 licence holders who collectively amassed 2000 demerit points, while up to 40,000 international drivers were unknown to local authorities – with some licences believed to have been obtained through the dark web.
New measures to curb the illegal trade include a law, effective May 1, 2025, requiring international licence holders to convert to a NSW licence after living in the state for three months.
Authorities will also work more closely with Australian Border Force to identify drivers who falsely nominate others.
“In cases where they were not even in Australia, the system will be able to more quickly put the fine and demerit points back to the driver who falsely nominated someone else.”
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