As millions prepare to drive home for Christmas, National Trading Standards is urging motorists to ensure they pay road tolls only on official websites, as new research* finds that a third of Brits risk landing on copycat sites that charge over the odds – and 17% of those who believed they’d paid for government services online were fined for non-payment.
The warning comes after two men who operated more than 40 misleading copycat websites that generated over £2.25m in revenue, were sentenced at Bristol Crown Court following an investigation led by the National Trading Standards eCrime Team**. Their fraudulent sites mimicked official government services, targeting people paying essential charges such as the Dartford Crossing, London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) and the Mersey Gateway Bridge. Through misleading URLs and prominent search-engine adverts, the criminals tricked thousands of drivers into thinking they were using official payment pages.
Victims were routinely charged inflated fees — for example, £7.50 instead of the (then) official £2.50 Dartford Crossing charge. In many cases the criminals pocketed the difference but often, payments wouldn’t be passed on to the official body at all and many customers received penalty charge notices for unpaid tolls.
As the festive season gets underway, National Trading Standards is warning that copycat websites are still a problem, and its research found that by using search engines, social media or clicking on an ad to find government services, more than a third (34%) of Brits are at high risk of being caught out this Christmas.
Of those who’ve applied for government services online, more than a quarter (26%) have paid a handling charge – which are not needed if you pay the government body directly – one in 5 have paid more than they expected to for the service and 17% have been fined for non-payment.
Mike Andrews, Head of the National Trading Standards eCrime Team, said:
“Victims in this case were ordinary people trying to do the right thing before making their journeys. Many were left frustrated and out of pocket, often only realising they’d been misled after receiving a fine.
“Copycat sites remain a problem and it’s clear from our research that huge numbers of people are paying more than they need to for straightforward services. With so many of us driving long distances over Christmas — often late at night, stressed or in a hurry — it’s easy to click the first link you see. We’re urging motorists to take a moment to check they’re on the official website when paying tolls or emission charges. The easiest way is to go to the road toll page at GOV.UK and search from there.”
A National Highways spokesperson said:
“If you’re travelling this Christmas and need to pay for the Dartford Crossing, always use the official GOV.UK site.
“It’s the safest way to avoid extra charges or penalty charges. Too many people have been caught out by unofficial sites, which can charge more or leave your crossing unpaid – leading to unnecessary penalty charges.
“Please stay vigilant and check carefully before you pay.”
