Urgent Public Warning on the Surge in Fraudulent AARTO Websites and Fake Fine Notifications
The Road Traffic Infringement Authority (RTIA) is issuing an urgent public warning following a sharp increase in sophisticated scams targeting South African motorists through fraudulent websites posing as the official Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences (AARTO) platform.
Scammers are utilizing fake SMS, WhatsApp messages, and emails to deceive motorists into believing they have outstanding traffic fines. These messages often contain links to cloned websites that mimic the official AARTO portal, designed to steal personal information and banking details.
Be on the lookout for Typos and Wrong Names on fake websites: E.g., signed by “NATS Online Vehicle License Disc Renewal” – a misspelling of eNATIS.
The authorities have provided clear guidelines to protect the public from these fraudulent activities:
Do NOT:
- Click any link in an SMS/WhatsApp/email about AARTO fines.
- Make payments on any site other than AARTO official payment platforms.
- Share ID numbers, licence details, or banking details.
DO:
- Ignore and delete the message.
- Make payments on official payment platforms.
- Verify your AARTO status ONLY via official channels.
- Report the scam number/link to your network provider and to RTIA.