The Road Traffic Infringement Authority (RTIA) in South Africa has issued a warning to motorists about a surge in fake Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences (Aarto) platform websites. These fraudulent sites, along with cloned payment portals, SMSes, WhatsApp, and emails, are being used by scammers to steal money and personal data from unsuspecting motorists.
The RTIA has advised motorists to make payments only through verified and approved payment platforms. When making payments, motorists must use the 16-digit infringement notice number as a reference, which does not require the RTIA bank account. The authority has also warned motorists about fake messages that claim to be Aarto fines, often threatening licence blocks, vehicle disc blocks, or additional penalties if not paid.
Scammers are sending messages with links that urge recipients to pay R250 to qualify for a supposed discount on a traffic fine. These messages often create a sense of urgency, with subject lines such as "Final Notice: Action Required to Avoid Additional Penalties" or "Final Demand: Enforcement Notice". The RTIA has advised motorists to delete such messages immediately, remain calm, and contact the RTIA directly for verification.
The authority has identified several tactics used by scammers, including fake discounts, after-hours delivery, and cloned websites. Fake websites may have typos and wrong names, such as "NATS Online Vehicle License Disc Renewal", which is a misspelling of eNatis. Motorists are advised not to click on links in SMS/WhatsApp/emails about Aarto fines, make payments on any site other than Aarto's official payment platforms, or share ID numbers, licence details, or banking details.
The only official Aarto website is https://online.aarto.gov.za, and motorists are advised not to make payments or provide personal details on any other website claiming to be Aarto. The RTIA has also provided guidelines on what to do if a motorist receives a suspicious message, including ignoring and deleting the message, making payments on official payment platforms, and verifying Aarto status only via official channels.
The Aarto system, which aims to remove the burden of minor traffic offences from traditional criminal courts and handle them administratively, went live in 62 municipalities on July 1. The municipalities listed include Tshwane and Joburg, but no municipalities within the Western Cape have been included in this phase of implementation.
Licence demerit points are not part of the July 1 Aarto rollout and will be implemented during a later phase. The system has been piloted in Tshwane and Johannesburg for more than a decade without the licence demerit system, but several previous attempts to expand its implementation have been delayed.
Key points
- Motorists are advised to make payments only through verified and approved payment platforms.
- The only official Aarto website is https://online.aarto.gov.za.
- Licence demerit points will be implemented during a later phase of the Aarto rollout.
