Dodgy tactic to keep driver's licence growing "out of control"
A criminal lawyer has exposed an alarming trend, which has caused more and more people to seek legal advice.
Over the past year, there has been an increase in the number of drivers off-loading their demerit points to strangers in exchange for cash, as Aussies desperately try to keep their licences.
The illegal tactic is often advertised on social media, where users attract those looking for someone to falsely nominate and palm off their demerit points to.
The price of one demerit point can go for $30-$150, and criminal lawyer Jahan Kalantar revealed that more people are seeking legal advice after getting involved in the trend.
"This used to be a very tiny part of my practice, I do about eight to nine consultations a week on this," he told 7News Sunrise.
"This is becoming really out of control."
Yahoo Australia shared a screenshot of a chat obtained from Facebook, which showed a person responding to an ad someone put up about selling their demerit points.
"What fine is it?" the person advertising asked.
"Speeding," the person replied.
"Yeah I can sort it out for you," they said.
When asked how it would work the advertiser replied: "If it's under 5 points it's $80 a point".
There are tough penalties for those who choose to falsely nominate another driver, and for those who trade their demerit points for cash.
In Victoria, offenders face fines of $9,000, while those in NSW and Queensland cop a maximum penalty of $11,000.
In addition to hefty fines, imprisonment is also a risk, with one high-profile incident in 2006 landing former federal court judge Marcus Einfeld in prison after he was caught falsely declaring another driver for his speeding fine.
Images: 7NEWS/ Facebook