At CHECK YOUR DRIVER, we see the same trend every year: as the new year begins, licence fraud spikes.
And the numbers do not lie.
More than 50% of all foreign licences we verify return as fake, and January consistently shows the highest increase in:
• forged Zimbabwean licences
• falsified PrDPs
• fake renewal stamps
• mismatched identity details
• forged training certificates and defensive driving cards
This isn’t just a compliance issue. It’s a business risk that affects insurers, brokers, fleet operators, and HR professionals across the country.
Why January Is a High-Risk Hiring Period
1. HR teams are under pressure to fill roles quickly
Drivers resign, relocate or return home over December. By January, fleets are short-staffed and HR is expected to hire at speed.
Fast hiring = high vulnerability to fraud.
2. Fraud syndicates strike early
Document fraud is a business model. January is their peak season because they know that employers are desperate.
3. Operators assume “the renewal looks fine”
Many HR teams accept what appears to be a valid renewal card at face value. Yet one of the biggest fraud trends is fake renewal dates and forged expiry extensions.
4. Insurers expect 100% compliance from day one
Insurance companies assess risk from the moment a driver is hired – not from the day of the incident.
If the driver’s documents were not properly verified upfront, a claim can and will be rejected.
Ignorance is not a defence.
Compliance is a responsibility.
What This Means for Insurers
January marks an influx of high-risk drivers entering the workforce.
When a claim is submitted in Q1, insurers increasingly request licence verification reports before adjusting a claim.
If the documents are fake, the claim is repudiated.
We see this every single year.
What This Means for Fleet & Logistics Operators
One invalid licence does more than void a claim:
It jeopardises your contracts
It damages your reputation
It exposes your clients
It puts your fleet and drivers at risk
Preventable losses become expensive ones.
Why CHECK YOUR DRIVER Is Essential in Q1
We provide:
• direct verification with custodians of records (no online databases)
• bespoke reporting
• identity cross-checking
• licence + PrDP validation
• criminal checks
• support during disputes
• trusted industry-standard evidence for insurers
No report we’ve ever issued has been overturned with proven evidence.
When we verify, you know the truth.
Start the Year With Certainty
The most dangerous thing you can do in January is assume a licence is valid.
The safest thing you can do is verify it.
