Desperate drivers are taking to social media to buy and sell demerit points, risking eye-wateringly expensive fines in the process.
An entire Facebook page was created just to make fun of, and bully a 21-year-old Metro Detroit man with autism. HIs family had to get creative to have the page taken down after the social media giant provided zero help.
There are currently several demerit point exchange pages on Facebook, some with more than 1000 members.
Falsely nominating a person to take demerit points for driving infringements can result in hefty fines. Picture: NCA NewsWire / David Crosling
Sellers generally post how many points they need to be taken and can list how much they are willing to pay.
Users interested in taking the points for compensation will then privately message or publicly reply to the post, commonly stoking interest from multiple people looking to make a quick buck.
Facebook’s ‘Trade Your Demerit Points for $$$’ has 613 members, NSW-based ‘Eastern suburbs demerit point buy/sell’ has 1200 members, and ‘buy sell demerit points VIC’ has 181 members.
Sellers and buyers post in designated groups or on their own personal pages. Picture: Facebook
“Looking for someone who can help me out with one demerit point,” one user posted on Saturday.
“I need someone to take four demerit points, comment or inbox me how much, and we can work something out,” another said on the same day.
“No time (wasters) I’ve got points available for sale … you pay for points and fine,” another person posted.
‘buy and sell demerit points VIC’ Facebook page. Picture: Facebook
Some sellers are on international driving licences and are not given points for driving infringements, meaning they can only be fined.
Once they pay the fine in the place of the real driver then there is no record of the offence.
Authorities are warning desperate drivers of the even heftier penalties that apply should they be found falsely nominating another person for demerit point penalties, which can reach in excess of $10,000 in some states and territories if convicted in court.
