Disabled Blue Badge holders warned about website scam

[dutchman]

Coventry’s Blue Badge holders are being targeted by websites trying to con them out of money and personal information.

These unregulated websites offer badge applicants and people renewing their badges a quick and easy service for at least £49 per application.

The owners of the websites have no authority to issue Blue Badges and are in no way related to the council or Blue Badge scheme.

Applicants may become the victims of other frauds if they provide personal information like bank details, addresses and National Insurance numbers.

Coun David Galliers, chairman of Coventry City Council’s licensing and regulatory committee, said: “It is not necessary to use one of these sites to apply for a Blue Badge.

“The official Blue Badge costs £10 and you can find more information on the eligibility requirements and how to apply or renew a Blue Badge through the Council’s website or through the Government’s official gov.uk pages.

“We would also remind everyone to only use the official gov.uk website for any Government service such as renewing driving licences, passports or European Health Insurance Cards, rather than rely on search engines that often display copycat sites.”

Help is available to any who needs to fill in a Blue Badge form thorough Age UK Coventry, Citizens Advice Bureau or the Coventry Direct’s Blue Badge Team on 0500 834 333.

If anyone comes across a copycat website please report it to the Citizens Advice consumer service on 03454 040506.

[rebbonk]

Applicants may become the victims of other frauds if they provide personal information like bank details, addresses and National Insurance numbers.

Is there any real evidence for that?

Whilst I'll not endorse these sites, maybe they do deliver a service?