For site managers and authorised examiners, the Test Log report in the MOT Testing Service is one of the most valuable tools available for ghost MOT fraud prevention. It provides a record of every MOT test entered through accounts connected to your station, and comparing that record against your station diary on a regular basis is one of the clearest ways to identify activity that shouldn’t be there.
The process is straightforward. Cross-reference the tests shown on your Test Log against the appointments booked in your diary. Every test on the log should correspond to a vehicle that was physically on site, booked through your normal process, and tested by an identified member of your team. Any test that can’t be accounted for in this way should be investigated immediately, rather than being attributed to an administrative error and left unresolved.
Patterns are as important as individual entries. Tests completed in an implausibly short time, certificates issued outside your normal working hours, or a volume of tests that doesn’t reflect your station’s realistic daily capacity are all indicators that something may be wrong. DVSA investigators have used exactly these patterns to identify fraud at testing stations, and site managers who carry out the same checks are well placed to detect problems early.
Making this review a fixed part of your management routine, rather than an occasional or reactive task, is the most effective approach. Alongside this, establishing a clear team protocol around MTS sign-in and sign-out, and confirming that it’s followed consistently, closes one of the most common vulnerabilities that allows ghost MOT fraud to go unnoticed. If you need support setting up monitoring procedures or reviewing your current compliance processes, please get in touch with the team at The MOT Group.