Detail in photo exposes glaring problem with driver's $7000 in fines: 'Not me'

A NSW motorist is desperately trying to prove his innocence after losing his driver's licence following 14 traffic offences in another state, all of which he denies were his doing.

Ross claims he was fraudulently nominated for the driving offences which were all clocked in Victoria and now faces $7,000 in fines, despite residing in NSW.

"I haven't been in Victoria in the last five years and I haven't driven a vehicle in Victoria in the last five years," he told 2GB. After reportedly speaking to seven different organisations, including VicRoads and Revenue NSW, as well as filing police reports and a statutory declaration, he is still no further forward in clearing his name or knowing when he will get his licence back.

In an image attached to one of the infringements, the driver behind the wheel has long hair and appears to be female.

" I've tried to highlight that I'm a male and she is a female but it's still ongoing... it's not me," Ross said. "It's a very convoluted process."

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Hefty fines for those who falsely declare drivers

Infringement notices are sent straight to the registered operator of a vehicle but sometimes the person responsible for the offence is another driver, meaning a declaration is required to correctly shift liability.

In Victoria, this process involves filling out an online form or completing the back of the physical infringement notice with personal details of the driver responsible, such as their full name, date of birth, licence number and home address. Therefore, it is unclear how the driver, or drivers, of the 14 offences have been able to declare Ross as the person behind the wheel.

Falsely nominating drivers is illegal and if caught, Victorian drivers can be fined up to $9,000, while drivers in NSW and Queensland can cop a maximum penalty of $11,000.

In May a Melbourne man racked up $20,000 in debt and was forced to enter into a payment plan to pay off nearly 60 driving offences he claimed he didn't commit, instead believing his details were stolen and he was falsely declared after his wallet was lost on a bus.

Crackdown on drivers monetising false declaration system

It's an open secret that some drivers have tried to monetise the false declaration system, with people offering themselves to be falsely declared and cop another's driving offence in exchange for cash. This is often done to dodge demerit points attached to an offence and online platforms, most notably Facebook Marketplace, are full of easily searchable advertisements.

However, authorities in NSW have started a crackdown on this system manipulation. It is unknown if Victoria will follow suit.

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