Motorists Cautioned Over Fake Dartford Crossing Websites Amid Rising Scams Targeting Toll Payment
A growing number of motorists are falling victim to scams targeting the Dartford Crossing toll payment system. Thieves have set up fake websites claiming to be official government services, aiming to fleece unsuspecting drivers out of money. In one case, scammers raked in over £2.25 million from thousands of victims before being caught.
The scammers create sites with similar names to the real thing but often feature sponsored links and fake titles to make them appear legitimate. For example, fake Dartford Crossing sites include "dartcrossingcharges.co.uk" and "paydartcharge.co.uk", while Mersey Gateway fakes are "paymerseygatewaytoll.co.uk". Some scammers even charge extra fees for services that are actually free.
National Trading Standards has issued a warning to motorists, advising them to check the authenticity of any website before paying tolls or emission charges. Mike Andrews, head of the National Trading Standards e-crime team, warns: "It's clear from our research that huge numbers of people are paying more than they need to for straightforward services." To avoid falling victim, motorists are urged to visit the official road toll page at Gov.uk and search for genuine government services.
Those who realize they have paid through a scam site should first try to get a refund through chargeback from their debit or credit card provider. They should then report the misleading website to Citizens Advice consumer service on 0808 223 1133, taking screenshots of the site and any payment confirmations as evidence.
As the scams continue to rise, motorists are being cautioned to be vigilant when paying for government services online.
A growing number of motorists are falling victim to scams targeting the Dartford Crossing toll payment system. Thieves have set up fake websites claiming to be official government services, aiming to fleece unsuspecting drivers out of money. In one case, scammers raked in over £2.25 million from thousands of victims before being caught.
The scammers create sites with similar names to the real thing but often feature sponsored links and fake titles to make them appear legitimate. For example, fake Dartford Crossing sites include "dartcrossingcharges.co.uk" and "paydartcharge.co.uk", while Mersey Gateway fakes are "paymerseygatewaytoll.co.uk". Some scammers even charge extra fees for services that are actually free.
National Trading Standards has issued a warning to motorists, advising them to check the authenticity of any website before paying tolls or emission charges. Mike Andrews, head of the National Trading Standards e-crime team, warns: "It's clear from our research that huge numbers of people are paying more than they need to for straightforward services." To avoid falling victim, motorists are urged to visit the official road toll page at Gov.uk and search for genuine government services.
Those who realize they have paid through a scam site should first try to get a refund through chargeback from their debit or credit card provider. They should then report the misleading website to Citizens Advice consumer service on 0808 223 1133, taking screenshots of the site and any payment confirmations as evidence.
As the scams continue to rise, motorists are being cautioned to be vigilant when paying for government services online.
people gotta wake up and check the websites before giving out their deets... like, is it really official or just some scammer trying to make a quick buck? 
and £2.25 million is like, whoa! that's crazy... and what's with these fake sites having similar names as the real thing but with random extensions? come on! it's not rocket science to type in the correct domain name 
anyway, I'm glad National Trading Standards is sounding the alarm and telling people to check the legit websites before paying... Gov.uk should be like a super reliable source of info, you know? 
- £2.25 million stolen from thousands of people is just crazy... how do they even get away with it? creating fake websites that look like the real deal but have extra fees or sponsored links to make them seem legit? no wonder people fall for it 
and what's annoying is that some people are actually getting refunds through chargeback... doesn't that just add to their loss in the long run? 
. Fake websites are like a plague now, it's crazy how many people fall for it 
. I mean, who tries to pay more than they need to? 
I guess that's a lot of cash, but like, shouldn't they be using more secure sites? 
It's just so obvious. National Trading Standards is like, "Duh, check the website before you pay, folks!" 
I mean, these scammers need to be shut down for real! 
I know some people might think "oh, it's not my fault if I click on a wrong link" but let's be real, most of us are adults who should be able to distinguish between real and fake stuff 
. National Trading Standards needs to do more to crack down on these scammers ASAP! 
... like it's that hard? Create a new tab and type in the real website address instead of clicking on those sponsored links, geez! And can we please just use our common sense for once? I mean, if a site looks too good (or bad) to be true, it probably is. Don't pay for anything online until you've checked with the official source first, okay? It's not that hard, folks! 
! I mean i no some ppl might not even think twice b4 payin tolls online but trust me it's not worth the risk 
. Its so easy to spot the fake sites if u take the time 2 look! 
) try gettin a refund thru chargeback w/ ur bank & report it 2 Citizens Advice consumer service ASAP 
. Show dem screenshots of the site & any payment confirmations like its ur job 
.
anyway, if u gotta pay tolls or emissions online, always check gov.uk first & make sure its a legit site, trust me i learned the hard way 
. Either way, I'll be keeping a close eye on this situation, that's for sure