Pretoria: The Road Traffic Infringement Authority (RTIA) is urging South African motorists to exercise caution and vigilance following a surge in fraudulent Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences (AARTO) platform websites. The authority said scammers are now using cloned payment portals, SMS, WhatsApp, and email to steal money and personal data from unsuspecting motorists.
According to South African Government News Agency, the RTIA emphasizes that it is the only entity legally authorized to administer and process fines under the Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences (AARTO) Act. Motorists are strongly advised to make payments only through verified and approved payment platforms. Motorists must use the 16-digit Infringement Notice number as a reference, which does not need the RTIA bank account to process payments on official platforms. These fraudulent messages claim to be AARTO fines, often threatening licence blocks, vehicle disc blocks, or additional penalties.
The authority explained that scammers are sending various messages containing links urging recipients to pay R250 to qualify for a supposed discount on a traffic fine. The RTIA advises the public to always make payments only through verified and approved platforms and to avoid clicking on any payment links. If such a message is received, it should be deleted immediately, and the RTIA should be contacted directly for verification.
Motorists are advised to watch out for messages with urgency and threats, such as 'Final Notice: Action Required to Avoid Additional Penalties' or 'Final Demand: Enforcement Notice' claiming your driving licence card or vehicle licence disc will be blocked. Fake discounts are also offered, stating falsely that you owe money and can receive a 50% discount or 'penalty fee waiver' if paid within 24 hours. These messages are often sent after working hours and on weekends to create panic, especially around dates when people are likely to have money in their accounts.
The public is cautioned to be wary of cloned websites pretending to be the official AARTO website, which may be used to scam the public and steal personal or payment information. Particular attention should be paid to typos and incorrect names on fake websites, such as those signed by 'NATS Online Vehicle License Disc Renewal,' a misspelling of eNATIS.
The RTIA advises against clicking any links in SMS/WhatsApp/email messages about AARTO fines, making payments on any sites other than official platforms, or sharing personal information. Instead, the public should ignore and delete such messages, make payments on official platforms, verify AARTO status only via official channels, and report scam numbers or links to network providers and the RTIA.
The only official AARTO website is https://online.aarto.gov.za. No payments or personal details should be provided on any other website claiming to be AARTO. All other links, particularly those with .com, .co.za, and .online domains claiming to be AARTO, are fraudulent. The RTIA remains committed to providing a secure environment for motorists to manage their traffic infringements and urges everyone to remain vigilant against these digital scams.