What to know when paying traffic fines online on 3rd-party platforms

Motorists using third-party online platforms to pay fines issued by the Department of Transport have noticed inconsistencies; one platform may show outstanding fines, while another shows none.

There are also growing concerns about the legitimacy of some of these platforms. Some third-party sites charge commission fees and may not be officially recognised, secure, or affiliated with the Department of Transport.

"I think the problem these days is we all get notifications from all kinds of sources, and most of them are bogus," says Booth.

"We are notified by banks not to reply to this SMS or WhatsApp, we are notified by whoever that one must be pretty cautious about this. If you're going to check up on the veracity of these platforms, one would have to say, let's get a forensic person involved to see if this is all legitimate and if the information on these sites is legitimate.

"You might go on the site and see that you've got 400 fines, and then it turns around and whoever posted it there got it all wrong; that is the problem.

"I think the message is be careful about this because this might not be correct, and you might end up paying money that you don't have to pay. They need to relook at these platforms to check if they're legitimate and if what you're being told is correct."

To listen to Booth in conversation with Lester Kiewit on CapeTalk's Breakfast Show, use the audio below: