Driving licence replacement scam!

The_Fat_Controller

First 4 results are Ads, gov.uk was number 5 (Chrome)

2 Ads (Ad is very small and not in bold), gov.uk third (Bing)

Pollycat

zagfles said:

Pollycat said:

zagfles said:

Don't know, it was MSE's advice, and those clever google engineers have removed these ads in the past. I'd go for "violates other google ads policies"

In fact I've just searched "driving licence renewal uk" and without the uk, and same for passports, and ZERO ads!

So looks like they've already sorted it!

Result!

I've just searched 'driving licence renewal' and vehicleonlineservice and driveronlinesupport came up - with Ad at the side - before gov.uk.

So maybe they've not sorted it.

Result - not.

I get gov.uk as the first 3 results, then a few more genuine results, inc some newspaper reports, and right at the bottom of the page there are a couple of ads. So pretty pointless, nobody's going to scroll to the bottom when the genuine gov.uk results are at the top. Are you looking at your screen upside down

Don't think so.

But even if I am looking at my screen upside down, I wouldn't fall for it.

The_Fat_Controller said:

First 4 results are Ads, gov.uk was number 5 (Chrome)

2 Ads (Ad is very small and not in bold), gov.uk third (Bing)

^^^^ Proves my point.

On Bing, I get 2 Ads at the top - both different to the ones I mentioned on page 4.

Maybe those clever google engineers aren't as clever as the website designers...

ontheroad1970

zagfles said:

Don't know, it was MSE's advice, and those clever google engineers have removed these ads in the past. I'd go for "violates other google ads policies"

In fact I've just searched "driving licence renewal uk" and without the uk, and same for passports, and ZERO ads!

So looks like they've already sorted it!

Result!

Because MSE's advice is always 100% helpful (not). Like the advice to just throw away letters from parking companies.  Great advice - not.  Much of MSE's advice is good, but not all.  

Manxman_in_exile

ontheroad1970 said:

zagfles said:

Don't know, it was MSE's advice, and those clever google engineers have removed these ads in the past. I'd go for "violates other google ads policies"

In fact I've just searched "driving licence renewal uk" and without the uk, and same for passports, and ZERO ads!

So looks like they've already sorted it!

Result!

Because MSE's advice is always 100% helpful (not). Like the advice to just throw away letters from parking companies.  Great advice - not.  Much of MSE's advice is good, but not all.  

Where is that advised?

NMK58

ontheroad1970 said:

zagfles said:

Don't know, it was MSE's advice, and those clever google engineers have removed these ads in the past. I'd go for "violates other google ads policies"

In fact I've just searched "driving licence renewal uk" and without the uk, and same for passports, and ZERO ads!

So looks like they've already sorted it!

Result!

Because MSE's advice is always 100% helpful (not). Like the advice to just throw away letters from parking companies.  Great advice - not.  Much of MSE's advice is good, but not all.  

That was the correct advice at one time.

NMK58

I think the original spoof of a government website was by Tom Scott before he became famous on Youtube:

preparingforemergencies. co. uk/

ontheroad1970

Manxman_in_exile said:

ontheroad1970 said:

zagfles said:

Don't know, it was MSE's advice, and those clever google engineers have removed these ads in the past. I'd go for "violates other google ads policies"

In fact I've just searched "driving licence renewal uk" and without the uk, and same for passports, and ZERO ads!

So looks like they've already sorted it!

Result!

Because MSE's advice is always 100% helpful (not). Like the advice to just throw away letters from parking companies.  Great advice - not.  Much of MSE's advice is good, but not all.  

Where is that advised?

It's not the current advice for the reason it was poor advice at the time.  It left people open to CCJs

zagfles

ontheroad1970 said:

zagfles said:

Don't know, it was MSE's advice, and those clever google engineers have removed these ads in the past. I'd go for "violates other google ads policies"

In fact I've just searched "driving licence renewal uk" and without the uk, and same for passports, and ZERO ads!

So looks like they've already sorted it!

Result!

Because MSE's advice is always 100% helpful (not). Like the advice to just throw away letters from parking companies.  Great advice - not.  Much of MSE's advice is good, but not all.  

Well it's worked in the past, so reporting does work. They seem to have eliminated the passport equivalents.

Google say they will remove ads which don't offer genuine added value - see here https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/2014/04/google-cracks-down-on-copycat-government-websites/

OP - suggest you report using the google link in here https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/2021/06/dvla/

zagfles

Pollycat said:

zagfles said:

Pollycat said:

zagfles said:

Don't know, it was MSE's advice, and those clever google engineers have removed these ads in the past. I'd go for "violates other google ads policies"

In fact I've just searched "driving licence renewal uk" and without the uk, and same for passports, and ZERO ads!

So looks like they've already sorted it!

Result!

I've just searched 'driving licence renewal' and vehicleonlineservice and driveronlinesupport came up - with Ad at the side - before gov.uk.

So maybe they've not sorted it.

Result - not.

I get gov.uk as the first 3 results, then a few more genuine results, inc some newspaper reports, and right at the bottom of the page there are a couple of ads. So pretty pointless, nobody's going to scroll to the bottom when the genuine gov.uk results are at the top. Are you looking at your screen upside down

Don't think so.

But even if I am looking at my screen upside down, I wouldn't fall for it.

The_Fat_Controller said:

First 4 results are Ads, gov.uk was number 5 (Chrome)

2 Ads (Ad is very small and not in bold), gov.uk third (Bing)

^^^^ Proves my point.

On Bing, I get 2 Ads at the top - both different to the ones I mentioned on page 4.

Maybe those clever google engineers aren't as clever as the website designers...

Maybe ads are targetted based on cookies. Using google on Firefox (my normal browser) I get the proper gov.uk links at the top, but in IE (still using google) I get ads, so possibly down to cookie settings targetting those who think might fall for them

Pollycat

zagfles said:

ontheroad1970 said:

zagfles said:

Don't know, it was MSE's advice, and those clever google engineers have removed these ads in the past. I'd go for "violates other google ads policies"

In fact I've just searched "driving licence renewal uk" and without the uk, and same for passports, and ZERO ads!

So looks like they've already sorted it!

Result!

Because MSE's advice is always 100% helpful (not). Like the advice to just throw away letters from parking companies.  Great advice - not.  Much of MSE's advice is good, but not all.  

Well it's worked in the past, so reporting does work. They seem to have eliminated the passport equivalents.

Google say they will remove ads which don't offer genuine added value - see here https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/2014/04/google-cracks-down-on-copycat-government-websites/

OP - suggest you report using the google link in here https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/2021/06/dvla/

Great news!

Oh...hang on a minute...that article is dated 23rd April 2014.

So here we are - 7 years on - and we still have the same issue with these websites.

From the article in your link:

Google says it will now inspect these sites more closely and axe ads for those not offering "added value". It adds that it's working closely with the Government and other organisations to review how it ranks results for its users so that people do not mistakenly click through to these unofficial sites.

The MSE article warning about driving licence renewals posted a few days ago:

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6279210/warning-issued-to-motorists-over-copycat-dvla-websites-that-charge-a-premium-for-services#latest

states that

Motorists have been warned by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) to avoid copycat websites that charge a premium for services you can get for free or at a much lower cost via official Government websites. Here's what to look out for and what to do if you've paid over the odds.

The warning comes as new figures reveal that the motoring body has been contacted more than 1,200 times, since January 2020 by people reporting sites that are not affiliated with it, but are claiming to offer its services.

so why aren't DVLA 'working closely' with Google (and other search engines) to stop these websites.

18 months on from January 2020 and people are still seeing these ads pop up above GOV.UK in searches.

Some people may feels that government departments and companies such as Google are safeguarding their money by removing these ads but I disagree - based on the fact that less than 2 days ago in 2 separate searches I saw 4 different companies offering a 'value-add' service for driving licence renewals.

The only person you can rely on to safeguard your money from these 'morally wrong' companies is looking at you in the mirror.