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Bizarre reason Aussie driver inundated with road fines

The Melbourne man says he doesn't own the Audi pictured in photos sent to him by Victoria Police.

A Melbourne man is claiming a hacker cost him thousands of dollars in traffic fines that are not even his own, warning others to stay vigilant.

Chris Lanting says the three fines for speeding and running a red light twice, including one at 4am, belonged to a black Audi — a car he does not own.

And what's also bizarre is the man was away with his family in north east Victoria from January 2 to 12 when the traffic offences, totalling $1,200 in fines, occurred within Melbourne.

A photo of the black Audi. A photo of the Melbourne man who received the fines.
A Melbourne man has claimed to receive traffic fines worth $1200 that are not his. Source: A Current Affair

"I would have been tucked asleep in the caravan," he told A Current Affair.

How did this happen?

The person responsible seemingly nominated Mr Lanting to receive the fines and would've only needed his name, date of birth, address and licence number to do so.

"I do not know this person. I've never never heard the name before," he told the program.

Lawyers say the form to nominate someone else needs to be reformed.
Lawyers say the form to nominate someone else needs to be reformed. Source: A Current Affair

Given the Melbourne local gave those details to Optus before being affected by the data breach, he believes this could of played a role in the incidents.

"I’ve never lost my licence, I’ve never lost my wallet. The only way those details could be gathered is from a breach of some sort," he said.

According to Armstrong Legal, falsely nominating someone for a traffic fine can get you more than $9000 in fines and lead to a loss of license in Victoria. The penalties are similar across the country, with NSW residents being able to receive up to $11,000 in fines.

Preventative measures need to be made

Lawyer Justin Lawrence from Henderson and Ball Lawyers said the form to nominate someone else needs to be altered to avoid the situation Mr Lanting is facing.

"At the very least you have to have the person nominated to sign the form to acknowledge they've been nominated. Otherwise..you can nominate anyone you like — your next door neighbour — and they have no knowledge of it at all," he told A Current Affair.

The Melbourne local will now be filling out a statutory declaration to get justice after speaking to police.

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