Trading standards warn of “copycat” websites

Trading standards officers are urging residents not to be duped by soaring numbers of "copycat" websites.

These appear on Internet Search engines and look remarkably like official government websites, with similar colour schemes and layouts.

Lorraine Chamberlin, head of environmental protection at Bury Council, said: “We have seen an increase in the number of local consumers who have used websites which are not affiliated with government organisations in any way, and they have ended up paying for a checking service which they probably didn’t want or need. There is no suggestion that the websites are acting illegally; however, customers often think they've ordered items, like driving licences, through the official Government site, but they are actually paying third-party organisations to send off an application.”

Dozens of these firms have sprung up on the internet, offering services such as passport, driving licence and EHIC applications, Tax Return gateways, and congestion charge payment facilities.

Mrs Chamberlin added: “These copycat sites frequently appear at the top of internet searches. Residents are urged to not just pick the first result on the page but make sure they know who they are dealing with.

“Some people may be happy to pay for their applications to be checked for errors or omissions before sending off the forms to help ensure they are not rejected. However, consumers should be aware that they could be paying up to three times more for their driving licence by using these sites than if they used the official website. External websites also use premium rate telephone lines which will charge the caller in the region of £1.53 per minute.”

Trading standards advise:

·  Take time to read all the information, including any disclaimers and terms and conditions, before handing over your credit card details

·  Submitting personal details to an unknown website could result in ID theft

·  Always deal with official websites

·  Official UK Government websites always have ".gov.uk" at the end of their website address. Rather than using a search engine to find the service you require, residents should go through the government’s main website http://www.gov.uk/

Anyone with a complaint about a copycat website is urged to contact the Citizens Advice Consumer Service on 08454 040506.

ENDS

Press release issued: 11 March 2014.