West Midlands Trains - Digital fraud team

[capers_x]

I wonder if anyone can advise me. I previously got 2 penalties in oct and nov 2025 for purchasing my ticket after the train departed. This was for various valid reasons and i appealed both. The appeals were successful.

Last week i received an email from the digital fraud team saying they have been looking in to my account and can see 152 cases of potential fraud where i have not paid the full fare and have purchased a ticket from a different station closer to birmingham. This is true my partner sometimes takes me if he is heading out at the same time as me.

The email says i owe £1000 unless i can provide evidence. I dont have evidence of being in my partners car they said they would accept txt messages but the only communications i have if im being picked up from anywhere other than my local station are via phonecall.

What do i do? Do i pay to avoid court which they are threatening me with!

Its crazy as my train is ALWAYS delayed why should we suffer

 

[Fawkes Cat]

I wonder if anyone can advise me. I previously got 2 penalties in oct and nov 2025 for purchasing my ticket after the train departed. This was for various valid reasons and i appealed both. The appeals were successful.

Last week i received an email from the digital fraud team saying they have been looking in to my account and can see 152 cases of potential fraud where i have not paid the full fare and have purchased a ticket from a different station closer to birmingham. This is true my partner sometimes takes me if he is heading out at the same time as me.

The email says i owe £1000 unless i can provide evidence. I dont have evidence of being in my partners car they said they would accept txt messages but the only communications i have if im being picked up from anywhere other than my local station are via phonecall.

What do i do? Do i pay to avoid court which they are threatening me with!

Its crazy as my train is ALWAYS delayed why should we suffer

Welcome to the forum.

The first question is whether on every time that you've had a ticket from the different station, you got a lift that far from your partner. If you did, and you're telling the truth, then ultimately it should be possible to persuade the railway of that. But if actually some of the time you've bought a short ticket then that means that what you will need to do is see what you can do to minimise the amount the railway want paid back.

If you always have got a lift from your partner, then the sort of points that you could think about are

- where do you live and work? Where does your partner live and work?
- how easy would it be for you to be dropped off at the station that you say you started your journey from? For example, I know that Birmingham has a clean air zone which charges some vehicles - if it would cost your partner extra money to drop you off there, that might make the story less than convincing
- is the station you say you start from one where it makes sense to get a train in, rather than a bus or tram? Think about the fares and how often trains run against buses/trams
- is your partner happy to write a letter confirming that he gave you a lift like this?
- has he got work records which would show that his working times match up with the lifts he gave you?

I'm not syaing you need to answer these questions here - but they may be helpful in how you reply to the railway.

 

[capers_x]

Thank you for your response.
The station is on the way to his work maybe slightly off the trail but its not far.

I just dont understand how they can assume and then slap £1000 when they have no reason to doubt. The 2 penalties i received were because i bought an any time day single but 5/10 mins after i stepped on to the train and reasons for that were because it was a delayed train and i rushed on to that one instead of waiting for my usual train. It costs the same either way. Now theyve looked in to my whole account and are accusing me of trying to pay less on other journeys. Its very distressing to be told i could be prosecuted and i have no evidence to give them

 

[Fawkes Cat]

Its very distressing to be told i could be prosecuted and i have no evidence to give them

There's two possible routes the railway could go down if they choose to pursue this - the criminal route and the civil route. And I'm really sorry if this sounds like you've wandered into a university law lecture, but this may get complicated.

The criminal route is where you end up in front of magistrates, and if you're found guilty (or plead guilty) you get fined, and have to pay the money back. If the railway want to take you down that route, then for most purposes it's up to them to prove that you're guilty 'beyond reasonable doubt': what that means is that they have to come up with enough evidence that no sensible person would think that there was another explanation for what happened. From where you sit, the good news is that it's for the railway to prove that you're guilty - you don't have to help them do that by coming up with evidence that you're innocent. The other piece of good news is that for this sort of thing they only have six months from the incident to start prosecuting you, although if they wanted to prosecute you for fraud they have as long as they want to prosecute*.

The civil route is a bit different. You're still taken to court - but instead of there being a magistrate, there will be someone called a county court judge (or the process may be a bit different for what I think are called 'small claims - but it still won't be a magistrate). A civil court doesn't decide whether your guilty: instead it decides if you owe money, and if so it tells you to pay it, and you can be in trouble if you don't then pay up. It also works to a different standard of proof - instead of 'beyond reasonable doubt', it goes for 'what is more likely to be true'. So the good news is that a civil court can't punish you by fining you - but you also have more obligation to explain your side of the story: that's because if the railway say 'we think this person has been fare dodging, because look at all these tickets to A starting from B, when we know that they live at C' if you don't give your side of the story then the judge will believe the railway instead of you. And the six month time limit doesn't apply: for the civil court the limit is six years*.

So where dies this leave you? In the first place, read the email from the railway really carefully. Even better, put it on this thread (with your name, address, and any reference numbers and so on hidden - you don't want the whole internet to know this about you) and we'll try to help you understand what it means. Secondly, as you can see, it may well not be in your interest to talk to the railway - so if you haven't already replied to them, it may be best not to do so, and leavbe them trying to find the evidence.

*I think. Others please feel free to jump in and correct me if needed.

 

[z444z]

I'm not syaing you need to answer these questions here - but they may be helpful in how you reply to the railway.

Why would the OP reply? The penalty fares were successfully appealed and so bear no relevance, other than that they are probably what triggered an investigation into the OP’s purchasing history. This is no different to any other fishing email case where the TOC have insufficient evidence for a prosecution because they could not prove who, if anyone, used these tickets.

 

[Watershed]

It is worth noting that the train company cannot impose a 'fine'. Only a Court can do that, if you have been prosecuted and convicted.

The amount you are being offered is likely an offer for an out of Court settlement, as an alternative to a prosecution. You are under no obligation to agree to it, and equally it is unclear that the railway has any obligation to ask for what you might think is a reasonable amount. But you might well decide that you prefer to pay it rather than to go to Court and defend yourself.

The fact that trains are sometimes delayed has no bearing on this; it is purely about whether you have bought the right tickets or not.

It would be useful to see a copy of the correspondence you have had with the train company so far, so that we can understand what has gone on.

 

[pedr]

It's worth clarifying, so that everyone is entirely certain: were the October and November incidents dealt with by revenue protection staff issuing formal Penalty Fares, as an on-the-spot demand to pay a defined penalty then or shortly afterwards? And these were appealed to the train company's appeal service, and both appeals were allowed so that the Penalty Fares were cancelled?

If so, the train company can't successfully prosecute for either of those. It also doesn't have more than circumstantial evidence that any specific person travelled on any of the other occasions, though it will have scan history information if these were e-tickets. This puts it in a weak position and it may be that simply not replying is worth considering, even though it will mean the train company will write increasingly strongly-worded letters.

If these were not Penalty Fares, the position would be different, so it's important to be sure.

 

[capers_x]

I have gone back to them to and fro’ing about how i dont have evidence of communications and they said i am liable to pay the £1000 and sent the details to send the money.
On one hand i just want this anxiety and stress gone so was going to pay it to save court and futher stress of having to prove myself when i know i cant
And on the other hand i feel like saying no! Ill go to court. But its just so much stress and anxiety i really dont need at the moment

 

[z444z]

I agree that we need to see the correspondence received and need more details of the two penalty dates to be able to give fully informed advice but on the information so far this appears to be no different any other fishing exercise that TOCs, particularly WMT, seem to love trying recently. If this is indeed the case:

It is my understanding that the prospects of a criminal conviction, which they are threatening, are close to zero, because they could not prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the OP committed any offence. Purchasing incorrect tickets is not an offence.

It’s possible they would try a civil claim, but 1. that would likely end in a far smaller sum of money and 2. isn’t really relevant right now anyway because there’s nothing to gain by engaging with them until they actually tell you it is their intention to bring a civil claim.

I would advise ignoring this email - they are hoping to scare you into paying a large sum of money when they actually have no ability to do anything about it if you don’t pay.

 

[jon81uk]

The 2 penalties i received were because i bought an any time day single but 5/10 mins after i stepped on to the train and reasons for that were because it was a delayed train and i rushed on to that one instead of waiting for my usual train.

Not relevant to the current accusation of short-faring, but for future reference, you must hold a ticket before you board the train and it is unusual that you managed to appeal penalty fares for buying a ticket after departure. Doesn't matter what train you planned to catch, you should hold a ticket before boarding.

 

[capers_x]

This is part of the email -

When we receive a case, we investigate all the historic data on your Trainline account under your name which you are held accountable for.



On further investigation into your account, we have identified 152 further transactions that have been flagged for possible short journey fraud.



On two occasions, you have been issued a penalty fare notice where you have given your home address as ****** suggesting your home station is *******. The 152 transactions are all journeys made between Smethwick Rolfe Street/Galton Bridge to Birmingham New Street suggesting you are not paying for the full journey you are undertaking.



Total amount we deem you owe is £1,044.70 this is including our admin fees. This will need to be settled in an agreed arrangement by the 14th January 2026.

Please in your response choose which option to take.

Option A – To make full payment.

Option B – Have case handed over to the Prosecutions Team and incur further fees.

Option C – Provide evidence in the next 7 days tovalidate these journeys



Kind regards,

END

I work in birmingham but if my partner leaves the same time as me i will go with him and he drops me at smethwick. The only txt messages i have that specifically state im being picked up from smethwick are from 2023. I then went on mat leave and then 2024/25 i dont have any messages that say smethwick they just say ‘shall i come now’ and i say yes. All pick ups mainly arranged by phonecall

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 12 Jan 2026 ==

Not relevant to the current accusation of short-faring, but for future reference, you must hold a ticket before you board the train and it is unusual that you managed to appeal penalty fares for buying a ticket after departure. Doesn't matter what train you planned to catch, you should hold a ticket before boarding.

I didnt know this was an offence at the time as i always pay the same amount and its an any time day single. But i hold my hands up to that ive never not paid a fare though which is why i appealed them both

 

[z444z]

As suspected, they are hoping to scare you into paying or incriminating yourself. Don’t respond. If they had evidence against you they would be sending you a very different letter/email.

Just a little request, could you maybe set a calendar reminder for say 2 months from now to come back and update us on the outcome of your case? It would be massively helpful for us.

In the meantime, do keep us updated on any further emails they send as we will probably be able to reassure you that they are still simply fishing for money/confessions.

 

[capers_x]

Ill be honest i am scared that if i ignore i will end up with a criminal conviction or more stress/anxiety. Thats why i was going to pay it. My last email to them was basically saying well if you wont accept my evidence im guessing court wont either. Waiting for a reply from them. Will keep everyone posted

 

[John R]

You say you've had some to and fro correspondence, which it would be helpful to see, with your personal details hidden. I would suggest that key to this is where your partner works. Have you stated this, and how your journey to either of those stations is on, or close to, his route to work. I think if you could provide documentary evidence of his employment location then it would help your argument enormously.

And if you choose not to respond further, as others are suggesting, then it may be worth getting that evidence anyway, in case they do try in on in a civil court.

Finally, whatever you do, make sure you buy (and complete the purchase of) a ticket before setting even one foot on a train in future, as if you are caught, they will then be able to threaten criminal proceedings, and will no doubt come after you for the amounts they think you owe them at the moment. And to be clear, buying on board when you had a chance to buy at the station is now (since November) clearly defined as not being a valid ticket.

 

[z444z]

I didnt know this was an offence

Just so you’re aware in future, I’ve quoted the relevant byelaw below.

18. Ticketless travel in non-compulsory ticket areas

(1) In any area not designated as a compulsory ticket area, no person shall enter any train for the purpose of travelling on the railway unless that person is carrying a valid ticket entitling them to travel.

(2) A person shall hand over their ticket for inspection and verification of validity when asked to do so by an authorised person.

(3) No person shall be in breach of Byelaw 18(1) or 18(2) if:

(i) there were no facilities in working order for the issue or validation of any ticket at the time when, and the station where, that person began their journey; or

(ii) there was a notice at the station where that person began their journey permitting journeys to be started without a valid ticket; or

(iii) an authorised person gave that person permission to travel without a valid ticket.

 

[CheapAndNerdy]

And if I may make a further suggestion: you may now feel uncomfortable about accepting a lift from your partner and buying the "short" ticket. But if you stop doing that, the train company may take that as "evidence" that you were previously short-faring. I would recommend making your journeys as you would have had this unpleasantness never occurred.

I think it is unconscionable that rail companies are using unusual ticket purchase patterns to "suggest" fraud and I wonder what percentage of such emails are without merit.

 

[AlterEgo]

I just dont understand how they can assume and then slap £1000 when they have no reason to doubt.

Becuase you've been buying tickets on the train, a standard thing people who short fare do.

Nonetheless your best option is to say and do nothing, except pay the proper fare for your full journey in future.

 

[Kite159]

Becuase you've been buying tickets on the train, a standard thing people who short fare do.

Nonetheless your best option is to say and do nothing, except pay the proper fare for your full journey in future.

Especially from Smethwick to Birmingham New Street which is a popular short fare for stations towards Wolverhampton + beyond due to the infrequent ticket checks on WMR services.

Agreed about the OP paying their proper fare buying before they board in the future, two appealed penalty fares will probably leave a mark against the details so if they get caught out again the system might refuse another penalty fare.

 

[fandroid]

If what you tell us is true and you pay up, you are effectively giving in to blackmail.

If you do pay, you should make it absolutely clear that it's not an admission of guilt.

 

[z444z]

if you stop doing that, the train company may take that as "evidence" that you were previously short-faring.

Doesn’t matter, it isn’t actual evidence, they won’t be able to do anything about it. I think a better suggestion might be for the OP to change to a different ticketing provider, and of course, always pay the correct fares in future.

 

[capers_x]

If what you tell us is true and you pay up, you are effectively giving in to blackmail.

If you do pay, you should make it absolutely clear that it's not an admission of guilt.

Not paying or ignoring is just stressful for me though. Ive never been in trouble before and them quoting words like ‘court’ and ‘prosecution’ at me is unsettling. I know ive not done wrong but everything ive provided theyve refused as evidence and said I still need to pay. So im stumped! I dont want this looming over me

 

[z444z]

Not paying or ignoring is just stressful for me though. Ive never been in trouble before and them quoting words like ‘court’ and ‘prosecution’ at me is unsettling. I know ive not done wrong but everything ive provided theyve refused as evidence and said I still need to pay. So im stumped! I dont want this looming over me

Well then you can pay it, but it’s a waste of money.

 

[capers_x]

They have replied and said they only accept payment via bank transfer:


Thank you for your response.
We take payments via bank transfer however, for your case we are able to offer you a payment plan so it can be settled over instalments. Please let us know in your reply if this is something you wish to do.
Kind regards,

END

They are also ignoring my question on whether it will appear on my DBS or credit score.

Ive stressed my innocence in every response.

 

[WesternLancer]

They have replied and said they only accept payment via bank transfer:


Thank you for your response.
We take payments via bank transfer however, for your case we are able to offer you a payment plan so it can be settled over instalments. Please let us know in your reply if this is something you wish to do.
Kind regards,

END

They are also ignoring my question on whether it will appear on my DBS or credit score.

Ive stressed my innocence in every response.

I don’t think anything would appear on a DBS unless something went to court and someone was found guilty or pleaded guilty.

But the railway don’t control how DBS checks work so they may not have the ability to answer that question. Same would apply to credit scores. Nothing to do with them.

Note I’m not commenting on whether you should or shouldn’t engage further with them or pay the sum requested as others have given relevant advice on that above.

 

[capers_x]

In my work we use DBS’s and ive had people come to me with an enhanced DBS and a train fare conviction has been on there and they were not aware it was going to be thats why i worry. It could be that they ignored the correspondence received but i want to check as its very distressing to think this could affect my credit score or future DBS checks if i should need one. I have never been in trouble and the fact I cant prove im innocent and being fined is really frustrating

 

[reb0118]

They are also ignoring my question on whether it will appear on my DBS or credit score.

No, rest assured that this will not appear on your DBS, nor affect your credit score.

At this stage this is merely a private concern between two parties. As no criminal proceedings have started there is nothing to place on your DBS. As there has been no judgement in the railways favour in regard to the "debt" there is nothing to affect your credit score.

 

[WesternLancer]

In my work we use DBS’s and ive had people come to me with an enhanced DBS and a train fare conviction has been on there and they were not aware it was going to be thats why i worry. It could be that they ignored the correspondence received but i want to check as its very distressing to think this could affect my credit score or future DBS checks if i should need one. I have never been in trouble and the fact I cant prove im innocent and being fined is really frustrating

Yes, but that will be because they received a conviction (most likely because they were caught fare evading, ignored letters from the railway and possibly didn't believe or know that things could be escalated to court because they were likely caught 'red handed' not having the correct ticket / not paid the correct fare.

if you seek an out of court settlement, or are not taken to court and convicted, I don't believe anything would appear on a DBS.

So what your question really needs to be is - 'how likely am I to get prosecuted and convicted of this matter?'

 

[Haywain]

They are also ignoring my question on whether it will appear on my DBS or credit score.

This is a private arrrangement between you and the train company, and will not be on a DBS check or credit rating.

 

[johnny_t]

Do you have Google timeliness on your phone ? That might back up what you say

 

[Hadders]

For the avoidance of doubt, paying an out of court settlement does not result in a conviction and nothing will be recorded on the Police National Computer or appear on DBS checks.

Anyone with a conviction showing on a DBS check is likely to have been prosecuted under the Regulation of the Railways Act.