The department continues to strengthen GOV.UK as the authoritative source of online government information and services.

This includes upholding its clear and consistent identity so that users recognise and trust official content, supporting efforts to counter scams and misinformation. DSIT additionally works with the National Cyber Security Centre, Action Fraud and search engine providers to find and remove misleading websites.

The Government Digital Service works with a number of external partners, including internet search providers, to help prevent unofficial websites from presenting themselves as government services and charging inflated fees. This includes identifying and removing misleading or imitation sites.

GDS also cooperates with organisations such as the National Cyber Security Centre and Action Fraud to support wider efforts to tackle online scams and misinformation. Responsibility for taking action against websites that imitate or unfairly charge for specific government services primarily sits with the department that owns the relevant service.

While the department has not made a formal assessment of the prevalence of third‑party websites that charge for government services which are otherwise free or low cost, it is reducing their impact through prevention, enhancing awareness and collaborating with partners.

This includes strengthening GOV.UK as a trusted and recognisable brand to help users identify official government services, and working with the National Cyber Security Centre, Action Fraud and search engine providers to find and remove misleading websites.

Responsibility for taking action against imitation websites relating to specific services primarily sits with the department that owns the service concerned.

In 2024 the National Cyber Security Centre's (NCSC) Takedown Service resolved over 2.3 million attacks of which 57,000 directly targeted HMG brands. The NCSC Takedown Service reduces the return on investment for attackers by removing sites and blocking any attack to infrastructure. As part of the Takedown Service, members of the public can report a scam website [https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/collection/phishing-scams/report-scam-website]. The NCSC also offers a suspicious email reporting service which links into the Takedown Service, this analyses emails and when they are found to contain links to malicious sites, seeks to disrupt them. The email reporting service is report@phishing.gov.uk.

Departments and organisations across government work actively and collaboratively to tackle sites that offer government services for additional charges. These third party sites commonly operate by offering a call connection or application checking service. Such sites purport to add additional value to the public users of the sites.

As well as ensuring government services are correctly listed and rank highly in search engine results, limiting the likelihood that the public will encounter misleading websites, government organisations proactively take steps to have misleading websites amended or taken down. This is done by contacting the website owners directly, reporting misleading sites to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) and National Trading Standards (NTS) bodies, and taking legal action.

GOV.UK remains the best place to find government information and services.

GOV.UK provides a single ‘front page’ through which users can report misleading websites - however, users are linked through to Action Fraud and Google to make the reports themselves. GOV.UK is just one of many sources of referral to these sources.

For government action on misleading websites, I refer the honourable gentleman to my previous answer to PQ52413.

Copycat websites undermine trust in online services, and this government is committed to stopping them. We are taking action on three fronts.

First, we are taking action to shut down such sites and prevent them from appearing in search engines. We are working with search engine providers to ensure they implement their terms and conditions on copycat website advertising - this has helped to increase the click-through to official Government websites by 30%. Security teams in departments across government are also actively monitoring the internet for bogus sites, and taking action accordingly.

Secondly we are improving the consistency and quality of Government websites, so that consumers can recognise and trust official sources of information.

Finally we are working closely with other bodies such as the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), the National Trading Standards Board (NTSB) and Which? to raise awareness of this issue and ensure action is taken where appropriate

Copycat websites undermine trust in online services, and this government is committed to stopping them. We’re taking action on three fronts.

First, we are taking action to shut down such sites and prevent them from appearing in search engines. We are working with search engine providers to ensure they implement their terms and conditions on copycat website advertising, increasing the click-through to Government websites by 30%. Security teams in departments across government are also actively monitoring the internet for bogus sites, and taking action accordingly.

Secondly we improve the consistency and quality of Government websites, so that consumers can recognise and trust official sources of information.

Finally, we are working closely with other bodies such as the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), the National Trading Standards Board (NTSB) and Which? to raise awareness of this issue and ensure action is taken where appropriate.

As the focal point of delivery of all government-funded consumer advice and information, the Citizens Advice Service is a one stop shop where consumers can find advice about their rights from a team of consumer advice experts but if they feel they have had poor service from a fact checking websites.

Citizens Advice and Citizens Advice Scotland can advise on consumers’ rights under the Consumer Protection from unfair Trading Regulations (CPRs). These regulations set out broad rules outlining when commercial practices are unfair. These fall into three main categories:

• Misleading practices, like false or deceptive information or descriptions, or being misleading by leaving out important information.
• Aggressive sales techniques that use harassment, coercion or undue influence.
• Conduct below a level which may reasonable be expected towards consumers (honest market practice/good faith).

Consumers can contact Citizens Advice consumer helpline on 03454 04 05 06 or use the website: www.adviceguide.org.uk.

In addition, anyone wishing to report a copycat website can find information on GOV.UK - Avoid and report Internet Scams and Phishing, which provides information for common services affected including tax and passports.

As the member for Colne Valley was advised by my right honourable Friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office on 26th February, the Government is working with search engine providers and others such as the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) and National Trading Standards Board (NTSB) to address the problems that can arise from misleading / copycat websites in relation to official government online services.

The Advertising Standards Associations (ASA) has responsibility for ensuring compliance with the British Code of Advertising, Sales Promotion and Direct Marketing. Complaints about misleading advertisements can be made through ASA’s website at: www.asa.org.uk.

However, the best place to access official government services remains GOV.UK, the single website for government. Action is taken against websites that pass themselves off as Government sites, or claim to be acting on behalf of the Government when they are not. Last year four search warrants were executed on properties in England. The operation led to the arrest of five individuals and disrupted the operation of at least 25 copycat websites.

The Government is working with search engine providers to address the problem of websites which are misleading to the public. The Government is also leading work with other bodies such as the National Trading Standards Board (NTSB) to raise public awareness of this issue and ensure enforcement action is taken where appropriate.

Gov.uk, the Government's single web domain, is the best place for the public to find information on Government services.

What recent assessment he has made of the effect of copycat websites on consumers.

We have taken a lot of action. We have worked closely with the search engines to ensure that they implement their terms and conditions on copycat website advertising, and the click-through to Government websites has increased by 30%. There is a problem with blocking transactions for websites that charge. A lot of Government services are free and we would not necessarily know whether other websites were charging. We know what Transport for London has done and we continue to keep the issue under review.

The top advertised search result for the European health insurance card if someone searches for “health card” or “national health card” is a site that charges £49 for its so-called services. Will the Minister act to put a stop to that practice by giving similar powers to those of Transport for London and blocking transactions from that site, tackling the problem at source?

I completely agree with the hon. Lady. I hear complaints from my constituents about such websites. We have referred the issue to the Internet Governance Forum and convened a round table of digital traders to discuss strengthening terms and conditions, and we work with Nominet, the UK’s internet registry services provider, to look at ways of prohibiting the registration of such domain names.

In fact, I was recently online to renew my European health card. I discovered that most of the top Google search results were sites that made people pay, but a lot of consumers do not realise that they can get the card free. There is an urgent need for the Government to take action to ensure that at least Government-provided services are clearly signposted on websites so that people know they are on a genuine website and not one that will rip them off.

Copycat websites con people out of hard-earned cash. They undermine trust in online services and we are committed to stopping them. We need to work with search engines, to take enforcement action, to improve the consistency of Government websites and to educate consumers.

I always support the Mayor of London, because he is one of the most brilliant Mayors of London this country has ever seen. He has frozen the Mayor’s precept and introduced Boris bikes. However, it took me an hour and 10 minutes to get to Westminster from Hammersmith on the tube, so perhaps today I am about 99% supportive of the Mayor rather than 100%.

I completely agree with the hon. Lady’s sentiment that we must stamp on these copycat websites. I progressed the issue myself because of complaints from my constituents. That is why I am so pleased that we have

made progress with strengthening search engine terms and conditions and started to move away from copycat websites having prominence and seen an increase in people using Government websites.

May I associate the members of the Opposition Business, Innovation and Skills Front-Bench team with the Secretary of State’s remarks? We wish you a happy new year, Mr Speaker, and express our sympathies to the families of those killed in Paris.

The Minister seems not to get the point. Many of those services are meant to be free, but the sites imply that people have to pay for them. The Mayor of London obviously does not believe that the Government’s action on copycat websites is good enough because he has introduced legislation to tackle rip-off congestion charge sites. Does the Minister believe the Mayor was right to do that? If so, why is what is good enough for London not good enough for the rest of the UK?

My Rt Hon Friend the Minister of State for Culture and the Digital Economy updated the House on the work the government is undertaking to address the issue of misleading websites during a Westminster Hall Debate on 28 October 2014.