News / Blue badge scam
SHETLAND Islands Council is warning anyone applying for a blue badge disabled parking permit not to fall foul of “copycat” scams.
Some fake lookalike websites charge users £49 for “assistance” in getting the badge, which is unnecessary.
The information can be obtained for free from the SIC’s transport planning service.
The council’s trading standards team leader David Marsh said the best way of obtaining government information is to avoid search engines and go to the source directly.
“People are often unaware they are on the wrong site and can end up paying for ‘assistance’ which is completely unnecessary and often useless,” he said.
“In this case, the application form provided is not even the correct one for the scheme.
“Copycat websites charge consumers premium prices for government services they can get for free or cheaper from GOV.UK.
“If you ever need to search for a government service, don’t use a search engine, go to GOV.UK and search there instead.”
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