ULEZ: The social media scammers who say they can make non-compliant vehicles exempt from pollutant charge
Fraudsters selling counterfeit exemption certification for London’s newly extended ultra low emission zone are advertising widely on social media, Sky News has found.
Adverts on Facebook Marketplace, TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram and WhatsApp claim to be able to make vehicles “ULEZ exempt” in as little as 24 hours using nothing more than the vehicle’s logbook.
Transport for London (TfL) says it is aware of criminals attempting to submit applications and has already removed “many” that it suspects of being fraudulent.
The ULEZ was expanded to cover the whole of Greater London on Tuesday, meaning cars that do not meet the required emissions standards now need to pay £12.50 per day to drive in the capital city.
Generally, this means most petrol cars made before January 2006 and diesel cars made before September 2015 are now liable to pay the fee to drive in London. The only way drivers may avoid the payment while continuing to drive their non-compliant car is through upgrading the exhaust system or engine – which comes with a hefty price tag in the thousands.
However, the fraudsters uncovered by Sky News claim to be able to game the system to ensure even the most polluting car is registered as meeting ULEZ standards for a fee of up to £1,000.
One seller told Sky News they had successfully “processed” more than 100 vehicles using the method.
“We are working with the police to make sure the criminals face the consequences of their actions and are working closely with vehicle manufacturers to prevent fraudulent applications being successful,” a TfL spokesperson said.
Sky News found adverts on four of the main social media platforms, as well as the messaging platform WhatsApp
Most of the listings relating to ULEZ exemptions on Facebook Marketplace are people selling used cars and vans where the seller has specified that the vehicle up for sale is exempt from the recently expanded ULEZ charges.
However, a short scroll reveals an altogether different type of listing also features in the search.
Sky News found five sellers on Facebook’s second-hand sales platform offering to get the status of vehicles previously deemed as non-compliant by TfL changed to say they meet emissions standards for prices ranging from £149 to £500.
A similar search on TikTok, Snapchat and Instagram reveals at least eight other similar profiles where the prices go up to £1,000 for larger vehicles.
Sky News found adverts for this across four of the most popular social media platforms, as well as the messaging app WhatsApp
Each account appears to offer broadly the same service – where a car’s status is changed in a matter of days using just a small amount of information provided by the buyer.
Many of the sellers also outline that payment is only taken once TfL have confirmed the exemption has been granted.
Sky News went undercover using a fake social media profile to establish further information about the shady schemes.
One seller said they had been “processing” cars for more than a year and had successfully registered more than 100 vehicles as ULEZ compliant. They said all that was required for the status change to be successful are pictures of the vehicle’s VC5 logbook as well as the name and address to send correspondence to.
As proof of the scheme’s viability, Sky News received the licence plate number of two vehicles that the seller claimed to have successfully registered as compliant.
Using the TfL vehicle checker, Sky News found that the vehicles provided were listed as non-compliant on Sunday but appeared registered as meeting emissions standards the following morning.
Sky News checked the number plates provided to us by the sellers online and found they were registered as compliant on TfL’s online portal
A further check of the licence plate using the public vehicle checker database shows both are diesel cars made before the September 2015 cut off date, meaning they fit the profile of a non-compliant vehicle.
Sky News was not able to verify whether either vehicle had been modified to meet emissions standards.
We found a similar outcome when we researched a licence plate number shared in an advert for these services posted by a TikTok user.
The vehicle was listed as a diesel car dating back to 2008 – therefore likely not meeting the ULEZ emissions standards. Like the others, however, it appeared as compliant with ULEZ on the TfL portal.
TfL says it is now investigating these instances after it was alerted to them by Sky News.
Most sellers were reluctant to reveal exactly how they could guarantee that the vehicles would be registered as ULEZ-compliant with TfL despite making no material alterations to the car.
However, one indicated to Sky News that counterfeit documents may be involved.
The seller told Sky News that they hold a certificate of conformity for the vehicle, which is sent to TFL before being processed by “an insider” to guarantee its success. They did not provide any evidence to support this claim.
TfL later confirmed to Sky News that they are investigating fraudulent activity relating to ULEZ exemptions.
“Drivers should not use the services advertised by these fraudsters as they will also be committing a criminal offence as well as wasting their money as their exemption will not stand,” a spokesperson for TfL said.
Other services claimed to be provided by some of the fraudsters include IDs, fake MOT certificates, speeding and red light ticket removal.
“These latest findings are really worrying as they indicate consumers could lose money and end up breaking the law themselves by trying to defraud TfL,” said Lisa Webb, Consumer Law expert at the consumer rights site Which?.
“Which? recently uncovered copycat websites that are ripping consumers off when they are trying to pay outstanding ULEZ charges, so opportunists are clearly out there trying to make a quick buck out of the ULEZ scheme.”
Both Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, and Snapchat say they do not allow fraudulent activity on their platforms.
The Facebook and Instagram posts Sky News flagged in this article have now been taken down and the Snapchat accounts have been disabled.
TikTok did not respond to Sky News’ request for comment.
The Data and Forensics team is a multi-skilled unit dedicated to providing transparent journalism from Sky News. We gather, analyse and visualise data to tell data-driven stories. We combine traditional reporting skills with advanced analysis of satellite images, social media and other open source information. Through multimedia storytelling we aim to better explain the world while also showing how our journalism is done.
Former British heavyweight world champion Anthony Joshua delivered a dose of reality to YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul as he won their much-anticipated showdown.
Joshua scored three knockdowns before landing a huge right hit on Paul halfway through the sixth round.
The British fighter lifted Paul’s hand in a show of respect after the fight broadcast on the streaming platform Netflix.
Joshua landing the right hit that knocked out Paul. Pic: AP
“Jake Paul has done really well tonight. I want to give him his props, he got up, time and time again,” he said about his opponent.
Joshua said it “wasn’t the best performance”, adding: “It took a bit longer than expected. But the right hand finally found the destination.”
Joshua celebrating his win after the fight. Pic: Reuters
Meanwhile, Paul said: “I’m feeling good, that was fun. I love this sport. I gave it my all, It’s f****** crazy. I had a blast.
“I got my ass beat, but that’s what this sport is about. I’mma (going to) come back and keep on winning.”
He added: “I just got tired to be honest. He did amazing and hits really hard.”
Jake Paul was knocked down three times before the final knockout in the sixth round. Pic: Reuters
The fight marked the end of a 14-month hiatus for Joshua, 36, while for 28-year-old Paul it was the biggest fight since his boxing career began in 2020.
At the weigh-in on Friday, Joshua boasted an almost two-stone advantage over Paul, who has regularly fought at cruiserweight since he entered the world of boxing.
Britain’s two-time world heavyweight champion tipped the scales at 243.4lbs (17st 5lbs) for his fight against Paul in Miami, while Paul weighed in at 216lbs (15st 6lbs) – a hefty 1.9st difference.
Joshua, who could not weigh more than 245lbs, is the lightest he has been since his first fight against Oleksandr Usyk in September 2021 when he was 240lbs. For his last fight against Daniel Dubois he weighed 252.5Ibs.
Jake Paul and Anthony Joshua at the weigh-in. Pic: Reuters
It is also only the second time that Paul weighed in over cruiserweight limit – the other time was when he fought 58-year-old Mike Tyson. Paul defeated Tyson by unanimous decision with 80-72, 79-73, and 79-73.
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David Walliams dropped by publisher HarperCollins UK after allegations of inappropriate behaviour
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Family of nine-year-old Aria Thorpe pay tribute to ‘beautiful soul’ as teen appears in court charged with murder
The family of a nine-year-old girl stabbed to death have said she was a “beautiful soul” who was brave, kind-hearted and “always put a smile on people’s faces”.
Police were called to Lime Close in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, just before 6.10pm on Monday, where Aria Thorpe had suffered a single stab wound.
The child was pronounced dead at the scene.
In a tribute released by Avon and Somerset Police on Friday, the girl’s family on her mother’s side said: “For those who didn’t have the privilege of knowing Aria, she was the most beautiful little soul – happy-go-lucky, full of light, and joy.
“She loved to sing and dance, and she took such pride in dressing up, always wanting to look just like her mummy.”
Tom Thorpe, the girl’s father, said: “It’s hard to put into words how devastating it is, our little Aria, that you’re up there with the angels looking over us.”
It comes as a 15-year-old boy charged with Aria’s murder appeared in court.
Pic: Avon and Somerset Police
Aria was a ‘precious girl’
In their statement, Aria’s family on her mother’s side said her death “has devastated us beyond words”.
“Our hearts are broken in a way we never imagined possible,” they added.
“As a family, we are holding one another close and doing everything we can to support each other through this unimaginable time.”
They said they were “truly touched by the lovely messages we have received”, before asking “that our privacy is respected, as we try to come to terms with the terrible loss of our precious girl”.
Flowers laid in memory of the young girl
‘Wacky ways and outright madness’
Mr Thorpe said: “How sad it’s going to be not hearing ‘Dad, how long left?’ on our long journeys back and forth at weekends.
He then said that Aria was “such a brave, kind-hearted and a beautiful innocent soul”, and “always put a smile on people’s faces with your wacky ways and just outright madness”.
Mr Thorpe added: “Your other little family down here in Portsmouth will forever miss you.
“We’ll miss you begging to go outside, even in the pouring rain just to have as much fun as possible in the little time we had at weekends.
“You will be greatly missed, you special little angel. A life gone far too early but I hope a life lived well. We all love you dearly. Goodnight darling.”
Teenager in court
Meanwhile, a 15-year-old boy charged with Aria’s murder appeared at Bristol Crown Court on Friday, where he was remanded.
The teenager, who cannot be named because of his age, was arrested in the Somerset village of Worle at 6.19pm on Monday.
He is next due in court on 16 March 2026. Appearing via video link from youth detention accommodation, he spoke only to confirm his name.
Judge Peter Blair KC set a provisional trial date for 15 June during the hearing.
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