During the course of a routine survey to update the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency's (DVLA) records, a handling error occurred in our mail despatch department. As a result, some of the 1,215 drivers contacted as part of this survey received details not related to them.
The details referred to are name, address, date of birth, licence number and a record of motoring offences. No financial information was included.
The error was discovered within 48 hours of the letters being posted and DVLA took immediate action. We are contacting all 1,215 customers written to as part of the survey to advise them of the error, apologise unreservedly and discuss its implications. A dedicated telephone line is also available to those customers affected.
As a precautionary measure, a note has been placed on all 1,215 records on the DVLA database to prevent any fraudulent activity being attempted on that record. DVLA has sought advice from the police regarding any risk of identify theft to customers and has also contacted the Information Commissioner
DVLA CEO Noel Shanahan said:
" DVLA deeply regrets this error and offers its sincere apologies to those customers affected. We are in the process of contacting the affected customers as a matter of priority. We have initiated an internal enquiry to establish exactly how this error occurred and to identify any changes in procedures that may be necessary."
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