Motorists beware: scammers target vulnerable drivers with fake toll websites.
Fees for the Dartford Crossing and other transport schemes are becoming increasingly popular among scam artists, who set up fake websites resembling those of official authorities. The victims are then left facing hefty fines when they receive penalty charge notices.
The latest example is a case where two men were found guilty of operating over 40 fake sites that swindled thousands of people out of more than £2.25m. They used tactics such as sponsoring their websites at the top of search results and using title words to make them appear legitimate.
One site charged an extra £5 on top of the actual Dartford Crossing fee, while another demanded £19.99 for submitting a statutory off-road notification (Sorn) that is actually free.
National Trading Standards says many motorists only discover they have been duped after receiving fines, and warns of these scams in order to educate drivers on how to identify them.
"Big numbers of people are paying more than they need to for straightforward services," says Mike Andrews, head of the National Trading Standards e-crime team. "We're urging motorists to take a moment to check they're on the official website when paying tolls or emission charges."
To avoid becoming victims of these scams, drivers are advised to visit the official road toll page at Gov.uk and search for payment services from there.
If you think you have been targeted by a scam site, report it immediately to Citizens Advice consumer service on 0808 223 1133.
Fees for the Dartford Crossing and other transport schemes are becoming increasingly popular among scam artists, who set up fake websites resembling those of official authorities. The victims are then left facing hefty fines when they receive penalty charge notices.
The latest example is a case where two men were found guilty of operating over 40 fake sites that swindled thousands of people out of more than £2.25m. They used tactics such as sponsoring their websites at the top of search results and using title words to make them appear legitimate.
One site charged an extra £5 on top of the actual Dartford Crossing fee, while another demanded £19.99 for submitting a statutory off-road notification (Sorn) that is actually free.
National Trading Standards says many motorists only discover they have been duped after receiving fines, and warns of these scams in order to educate drivers on how to identify them.
"Big numbers of people are paying more than they need to for straightforward services," says Mike Andrews, head of the National Trading Standards e-crime team. "We're urging motorists to take a moment to check they're on the official website when paying tolls or emission charges."
To avoid becoming victims of these scams, drivers are advised to visit the official road toll page at Gov.uk and search for payment services from there.
If you think you have been targeted by a scam site, report it immediately to Citizens Advice consumer service on 0808 223 1133.
i had no idea it was a scam till my fines started comin in and i was all 
. anyway, its actually pretty sus how these scammers use google search results to make their fake sites appear legit 
. gotta be on high alert and check the gov.uk website before makin payments 
They're setting up fake websites that look so legit, but really they're just trying to rip people off out of their hard-earned cash! £2.25m is a crazy amount of money that got swindled from thousands of people...it's just not right 
. The gov.uk site should be their first stop before paying any tolls or fees - it's so easy to spot these scams now! 
Report them to Citizens Advice and let's keep our roads safe from cybercrooks 
anyway, it's super important 2 check the real gov site b4 u pay anything. dont fall for those sneaky scams that'll leave u paying way more than ur fair share 
like they got 40 fake sites racking in £2.25m lol what a scam 
dont b fooled by the extra £5 or £19.99 fees, its all just a big con 
u got 2 protect urself from these scammers 
. i mean, come on scammers, can't you just find a legit way to make some cash? setting up fake websites and preying on vulnerable drivers is not only scammy, but also kinda pathetic. it's like they think people are gonna fall for it hook, line, and sinker. newsflash: we're not that gullible 
like these scammers r getting more & more sneaky wit their fake websites. i mean i know we've all heard of people gettin fined for nothin, but this is just gettin ridiculous. theyre even sponsorin their sites 2 make 'em look legit lolol. and its not jus the Dartford Crossing, its like every transport scheme now. its so easy 4 them 2 set up a fake site & rake in da dough. u gotta be careful out dere, guys! 
The National Trading Standards should really get some of these fake sites taken down ASAP 
. And btw, have you guys ever had to deal with one of these scams? How did you figure it out and report it? 
like wat even is the point of doin that?? just bcs some ppl are greedy & dont care bout others gettin taken advantage of 
idk but i think its super important 4 motorists 2 be aware of these scams & check those official gov.uk websites before makin payments 
And the tactics they use are so sneaky - just because it says "official" website doesn't mean it's legit. You gotta be careful, folks! 