MSE News: Paid-for EHIC site users could get refund

zagfles

Audrey_G wrote: »

I should have known better, and thought before I processed my application, but I have been scammed. The website came up first when I searched to renew my EHIC card and it had URL of Ehic direct with a government address so therefore I assumed it was legitimate. I was wrong and paid over £34.00. I immediately phoned my credit card company and they indicated that I had to phone credit card disputes at 8am the following morning. In the morning they could not help as the website stipulated it reviewed the application. What an idiot I am. Hopefully this post will stop others being caught out. I should have used the money saving expert site first.

There's no way a scam site would have a gov.uk address - what was the exact address? Some scam sites try faking genuine addresses by using a URL containing gov.uk but in the wrong place for instance ehic.gov.uk.xxx.com/apply or ehic.xxx.com/gov.uk , but to prevent people being scammed most browsers now highlight the domain ie in this case it would highlight xxx.com not the gov.uk bit.

Pollycat

Audrey_G wrote: »

I should have known better, and thought before I processed my application, but I have been scammed. The website came up first when I searched to renew my EHIC card and it had URL of Ehic direct with a government address so therefore I assumed it was legitimate. I was wrong and paid over £34.00. I immediately phoned my credit card company and they indicated that I had to phone credit card disputes at 8am the following morning. In the morning they could not help as the website stipulated it reviewed the application. What an idiot I am. Hopefully this post will stop others being caught out. I should have used the money saving expert site first.

Unfortunately, I really don't think your post will stop others from being caught out.
This thread is almost 5 years old and every now and again someone posts that they've been caught out.

People don't do their research before clicking 'OK' and only find this website after they've paid for something that is actually free - exactly the same as you did.