Homeowners warned against using copycat websites charging for free services

Homeowners trying to protect themselves from fraud are being “misled” into paying fees to third-party firms for services that are available for free on government websites.

HM Land Registry has accused middlemen companies of misleading and “confusing” the general public into thinking they are dealing with the official department, and profiting by using its name.

Its intervention came after homeowners attempting to sign up to the Registry’s free “property alert” ended up on third-party websites that charge a premium for the service, which takes just a moment to sign up to.

The alert notifies homeowners to any local authority searches carried out on their property without their knowledge or consent, a clear indicator that scammers posing as the owners are preparing the house for sale – known as property title fraud.

Telegraph Money revealed earlier this month that millions were at risk of the scam, with fraud levels on the rise and 99pc of homes not signed up to this basic protection.

One reader who attempted to use the service after becoming aware he may have been at risk said he found himself on a third-party site charging £24 plus Vat to sign up to the free alert.

The website, called Onlinelandregistry.org.uk, bears a strikingly similar name to the official department, meaning it appears high up in search engine results when homeowners look for the government website.

“It just shows how easy it is for even the savvy to be hoodwinked,” he said.

A spokesman for the Land Registry warned private companies they should not “confuse the public into thinking they are HM Land Registry and are not entitled to use ‘ Land Registry’ in their domain name”.

The third-party sites are technically not breaking the law. However, the Registry said in some cases it had taken action by forcing websites to make changes or close down altogether “for infringing the use of our name”.

Onlinelandregistry.org.uk did not respond to a request for comment.