Arrests have been made as part of a crackdown on dodgy websites posing as the Government, charging for free services.
Five people have been arrested as part of a clampdown on copycat websites which pose as official Government sites.
Raids on four properties across the country have also led to at least 25 copycat sites being suspended.
The crackdown has been orchestrated by the National Trading Standards eCrime Team, which is working with popular search engines to try to get the sites removed from search results.
What is a copycat website?
These sites are cleverly crafted to imitate Government services such as booking driving tests, renewing car tax discs and EHICs and ordering a passport.
They may charge you for signing up to services which are normally free or they may simply steal your identity.
[SPOTLIGHT]For example, if you search for the terms 'Passport renewal' on certain search engines, as well as the official pages on the Gov.uk website, you will see results such as Passports-uk.co.uk, where you are charged a £69 'administration fee' for submitting a passport application, something that you can do through the Post Office for free.
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A growing problem
These sites have been around for years, but they are a growing problem. Citizens Advice received over 5,000 complaints about fake Government sites last year, while 700 complaints were made to the Advertising Standards Authority.
It's not just the number of dodgy sites that is troubling either; the sites are getting more convincing. A survey carried out by Which?in September last year found that half of web users who came across these sites were fooled by them.
How to spot a fake
The web address and the site itself reveal the most about the validity of the service that is being offered.
Though it may sound obvious, have a look at the homepage first; you’re likely to get a good idea whether or not it’s legitimate. Some might even tell you that they’re not affiliated with the official Government page.
As for the web address, check that it originates from the Government website, meanign it will usually contain gov.uk. But frauds may include fragments like ‘govuk’ or ’directgov’, so keep an eye out. When entering personal details, the beginning of the address will change from ‘http’ to ‘https’ which protects your information by encrypting it. There will be a padlock next to the address if you’re in any doubt.
To make sure you don’t get duped, go to Gov.uk and use its search function rather than going through a search engine to find the service that you need.
If you come across anything suspicious, contact the Citizen’s Advice consumer service on 03454 04 05 06.
Have you been caught out by a copycat website? Let us know about your experiences in the comments box below.
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