THE GREAT DOCUMENT RIP-OFF

Why IS Google promoting con artists behind...

FOR frazzled families up and down the country, the fastest way to renew a driving licence or apply for travel documents is usually to go online.

But in an effort to tick tasks off their to-do lists quickly, many are falling victim to unscrupulous copycat websites. The tricksters set up their sites to look like official Government pages and charge inflated sums for services that should otherwise be free — or far cheaper.

They then pay Google to appear at the top of searches such as ‘ apply for national insurance number’ — and above Government websites.

It means anyone in a rush or new to the internet can easily mistake the firms for official sites and end up paying hefty fees unnecessarily.

Money Mail has consistently highlighted the issue but the sites are still topping Google results, despite the tech giant’s vow to protect web users.

It is illegal to mimic a Government website, but many firms stay just the right side of the law by using similar branding and web addresses while carrying disclaimers stating they are not affiliated to official departments.

Many also say they offer extra ‘professional services’ when arranging paperwork, which they claim justifies the additional costs.

There are several websites charging hefty fees to process applications for National Insurance numbers, which can be done for free via gov.uk.

For example, nationalinsuranceuk.com charges £79 for ‘fast-track processing’, which it claims will take 24 hours, and £64 for ‘regular processing’ in 48 hours.

HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) says there is no such thing as a fast track service for National Insurance numbers and that there is no quicker way to get a number than via its official route — which is free.

Ninoapply.org.uk charges £60+VAT for ‘super fast track’, which it says takes two working hours to process, £50+VAT for ‘fast track’, which takes 12 hours, and £40+VAT for ‘standard’, which is done in 24 hours.

It also asks users if they want to pay £20+VAT for a plastic National Insurance or European Health Insurance card (Ehic). It claims these offers represent 50 pc off normal prices, despite the fact that HMRC has not sent out plastic National Insurance cards since 2011 and Ehics are free via the NHS.

WORKING families are also being exploited by firms that take hefty cuts for filing straightforward rebate forms. Anyone entitled to a Marriage Allowance, worth £250 each tax year, can claim it from HMRC free of charge.

But a search for ‘claim marriage allowance’ returns two sites charging 25-30 pc of each claim. They both appear above the Government website on a Google search.

Couples can claim up to five years of the allowance, which works out at up to £1,149 per couple. That means marriage tax refund.

co.uk, which charges a 30 pc cut, could be pocketing £344.70 on just one transaction.

And an avalanche of applications could be sparked by Labour’s plans to scrap the perk. Other websites charge similar rates on a range of other rebates.

Claimbacktax.co.uk charges 25 pc on claims for Marriage Allowance, uniform tax, mileage claims and pension tax rebates. Employees who need to wear uniforms can claim back repair and cleaning costs via the Government for free.

Workers can backdate claims over four years, worth upwards of £1,000, meaning copycat websites can make hundreds of pounds per customer. A spokesman for claimbacktax. says it is raising awareness of poorly-publicised tax breaks and its fees reflect its investment in doing so.

An HMRC spokesman says: ‘We do not accredit or in any way approve agents and take action against any who are not complying with the law. We encourage customers to come directly to HMRC to make their claim.

‘People are free to use a tax return agent but should satisfy themselves in advance about fees and that they will get the service they sign up for.’

The cost of replacing a driving licence is £20 if you apply direct to the DVLA, but dvlalicenceapply.co.uk charges £77.60. Searches for ‘replacement driving licence’ and ‘driving licence apply’ both return dvlalicenceapply.co.uk at the top of the results.

The same website also charges £91.60 to apply for a provisional licence, which costs £34 via the DVLA. Its website says it offers a spellcheck, 24/7 email support and

immediate email confirmation. The firm did not respond to a request for comment.

Copycat sites are also taking advantage of holidaymakers gathering vital paperwork in time for their travels.

Certain countries require visitors to have an electronic travel visa —known as an Eta.

Australiatravel.com charges £53.35 for an Australian Eta, which is available free of charge via an Australian government website.

Meanwhile etaapplygov.org charges £76.55 for a Canadian Eta, which can be bought for around £4 from a Canadian government website. A company spokesman says its 24/7 customer support service ‘leads to less mistakes and faster approval authorisations’.

Last year, National Trading Standards secured convictions against six defendants for mimicking official websites and manipulating search engine results to appear more genuine.

They were sentenced to a total of more than 35 years in jail after defrauding UK consumers out of more than £37 million.

A spokesman for National Trading Standards says: ‘The people behind socalled “copycat” websites cynically manipulate the way consumers use the internet, misleading users into thinking that they are ordering from an official Government service.

‘Since successful legal action and the removal of hundreds of illegal sites, the number of consumer complaints about copycat we b s ites has drastically reduced.

‘But the threat still remains. It’s important for consumers to be vigilant and avoid complacency or rushing when purchasing goods or services online.

‘New copycat sites can pop up at any time, which is why it’s so important for people to report any suspicious or copycat websites to the authorities.’

A spokesman for the Advertising Standards Authority says: ‘Copycat websites that mislead consumers are a real concern. We can take action where there is problem advertising for these misleading services, and some of our work has resulted in the conviction of those involved. We have subsequently seen far fewer problem websites, but would continue to encourage anyone with concerns to submit a complaint to us.’

Google says they have now taken steps to stop these sites appearing at the top of searches following Money Mail’s investigation. A spokesman says: ‘Because we want the ads people see on Google to be useful and relevant, we have policies that prevent ads for paid products or services that are available from a government or public source for free or at a lower price, unless they offer a clear added value.

‘If we discover sites that are breaking this rule, we take appropriate action.’

HOW is it possible that copycat websites continue to plague the internet?

For years we have exposed how these sites, purposely designed to look official, trick victims into paying large fees for services they can typically get for free.

yet as we reveal on page 39, they are still some of the top results for Google searches such as ‘apply for national insurance number’ and ‘driving licence apply’. These firms know that if they appear above the Government’s official website, busy people will inevitably stumble into their trap.

Some claim to offer additional services such as ‘ a fast- track processing’. But as HM revenue & Customs points out, this is usually nonsense. The official route is almost always the fastest.

So why is Google accepting payments from such an unscrupulous bunch? On June 3, 2013, this paper wrote an article entitled: ‘Copycat firms that fool the public — with Google’s help.’ We told how rogue websites were using Google to cash in on people searching for everything from passports to fishing licences.

In the years that followed, the internet giant has pledged repeatedly to clamp down on these types of sites. yet here we are six- and- a- half years later raising the same concerns, with little progress made. In fact, if our experience trying to alert Google to the copycat sites we found is anything to go by, I’d suggest we may have gone backwards.

It has proved unbelievably difficult to get any answers from the world’s most comprehensive search engine. Part of the problem is that, according to the law, not all copycat firms are clear- cut scammers. But letting them off the hook just because they admit in the small print that customers can get the same service for free elsewhere is not good enough.

Until Google eradicates these sites, ordinary people will continue to be ripped off. If you have been caught out by a copycat website, write to me at v.bischoff@dailymail.co.uk or Money Mail, 2 Derry Street, London, W8 5TT.

Switch scandal

SWITCHING energy supplier can save you hundreds of pounds — but boy do they make you work for every penny. It has been 47 days since I used a comparison website to switch to a cheaper tariff and I’m still waiting for my £ 173.56 credit balance to be refunded.

During this period my new supplier has sent me 12 emails, including a notification that my switch ‘was complete’ on november 7 and my first bill on november 29.

Assuming everything was in order, I was surprised to receive an email from my old provider, Utility Point, requesting meter readings ‘to make my next statement as accurate as possible’.

Uh oh. Following a 22-minute wait on hold and some vague excuses about not receiving a gas reading until last week, I was assured the refund would arrive within ten days.

This will take the total switching time to nearly two months, which just isn’t good enough.

Under an industry guarantee, it should take 21 days to switch, including a 14- day cooling- off period. your new supplier is also supposed to do everything for you, such as supplying your old provider with meter readings so they can calculate a final bill. Industry figures suggest my rather tedious experience is not an anomaly, with switching complaints now the number-one reason customers contact the Energy Ombudsman.

If you’re struggling to change provider, let us know.

Take notes

FINALLY, yet another reminder of why we are not ready to be a cashless society — and why it’s sensible to still carry a few notes.

Money Mail reader Margaret, from Wakefield, says: ‘We went to a pub for a meal and were told it was cash only as their internet was down and the card readers wouldn’t work.

‘Luckily, we had enough cash on us to pay, but we saw two groups of people who had to leave because they didn’t have the cash. I’m sure the pub lost a fair bit of money that night.’ Technology can, and does, fail regularly — as we saw again with TSB last month — so always be prepared.