UK Services & Support Ltd BRITISHPassportServices Copycat Website issues DISCUSSION

[EXC]

Re: UK Services & Support Ltd Passport Scam

This service will cost you £10.00 from your mobile phones credit however this fee will come off the £149.60 that you currently owe us. Therefore after texting this service you will only need to pay £149.60 (£10 less).

[Amethyst]

Re: UK Services & Support Ltd Passport Scam

:waves:

lol, yes I'll just text you to send someone round to pick up a debt I don't owe, in cash which I don't have.

Doh !

FInding out who best to speak with. Trading Standards E crime is my best bet.


For general enquiries please email us here at tsecrime.enquiries@northyorks.gov.uk. The National Trading Standards eCrime Team (NTSeCT) aims to respond to all enquiries within 24 hours.


TS ecrime say to report to trading standards you have to contact CAB to tell you whether to contact trading standards. grrrr. So pants.

[Tools]

Re: UK Services & Support Ltd Passport Scam

“Our eCrime team is clamping down on the cyber fraudsters behind these websites and we are making it as difficult as possible for these online hoaxers to operate. We have been working with search engines such as Google and Bing to remove adverts from online search results and we continue to gather intelligence across the country to help tackle this issue.
“We urge you to avoid unofficial websites which could leave you out-of-pocket or at risk of identity theft. Only use the GOV.UK website to find government services. If you come across copycat websites, report them to Citizens Advice.”
The misleading websites often use URLs that include fragments such as ‘govuk’, ‘directgov’ or relevant organisation names to make them appear as official providers of certain services. Similar design features are also incorporated to replicate the ‘look and feel’ of official service websites. To report a misleading or copycat website, you can call the Citizens Advice consumer service on 03454 04 05 06.

03454 04 05 06

[trigs]

Re: UK Services & Support Ltd Passport Scam

Thanks everyone, I'll report it.

it's all a bit silly, none of the numbers add up, there seems to be a lot of pseudo-legal jargon added for effect. That last one made me laugh enough to nose at the e-mail source and backtrace their trackers, they're a joke outift registered to a virtual office while seemingly using ontraport to automate the sending and tracking of emails and SMS, it looks like a one man band with an 'off the shelf' e-business scamming people. Anyone could set this up in a weekend. It's very invasive and tracks everything if you're not aware of how the links and messages work.

I feel very sorry for anyone that has paid this guy or taken this abuse. I'm nomadic and move around different locations, no fixed address, if I did live somewhere this might feel quite nasty, the emails and texts have the address and name suggesting people might come around and take goods or money etc.

I'll keep people updated with what they do next or how the complaint to TS goes.

[Amethyst]

Re: UK Services & Support Ltd Passport Scam

On phone to TS ecrime now ( well Tools is) and he says you have to report to Citizens Advice first... sorry. 03454 04 05 06

On another topic, WTF is this meant to mean



and how is that okay as a disclaimer ffs.

If they wish to reword it then

UKPassportOffices.co.uk is NOT AN OFFICIAL SITE.
If you wish to visit the official government passport
website please visit https://www.gov.uk/browse/abroad/passports .

[trigs]

Re: UK Services & Support Ltd Passport Scam

Spoke to CAB, they can't move it through to TS as I have no fixed abode although would like to, they suggested writing to the address requesting proof they supplied a service with added wording that you dispute the claim and will not be paying, also to report it to action fraud. Interestingly the address is not registered with the same business name, although similar vague naming. I suspect that acts as a firewall for correspondence and they choose what mail gets passed on or left signed for but unread.

That wording above regarding the affiliation is amusing, it's outrageous they're allowed to do this. Perhaps one of the others might be able to get to TS.

It seems the same is done for things like immigration issues and visas, they're targeting quite vulnerable people. It's an unpleasant way to make money :tinysmile_cry_t:

[Tools]

Re: UK Services & Support Ltd Passport Scam

Just to explain a little further, consumers need to report the company to Citizens Advice via their Consumer Helpline 03454 04 05 06 for the following reasons.

Trading Standards like any organisation sadly has budgeting restrictions, as such they target their resources towards the issues which are affecting the consumer by volume. Each call/issue logged with the CAB Helpline goes onto the system, together with your contact details. As an emerging trend/issue increases it alerts trading standards and they then can look at the issue.

If they investigate they then have access to your details in order to contact you for further details and in the event of any prosecution they can ask you for a witness statement etc. [edit: Sharon has just told me that trigs has just said CAB can't take the details without an address grr]

I have mentioned that consumers have either received a court claim or the threat of one and will be passing on details of this thread and the MSE thread to them to review.

In the meantime I would strongly urge anyone who has been taken in by these people to contact the Citizens Advice via their Consumer Helpline 03454 04 05 06 and log a complaint.

If, as trigs has discovered, there are any difficulties in doing this then please let us know and we can pass this on to trading standards.

I would also (reluctantly) advise you to contact Action Fraud too.

[Amethyst]

Re: UK Services & Support Ltd Passport Scam

Frustrating, the vulnerable fall through the gaps in the system all the time. How insane that they can't pass it on to Trading Standards because you have no fixed abode. ARRGHHHHH.

Which address? 12 Deer Park Road, London, SW19 3TL or Hatton Garden ''office''? They changed it FROM the hatton garden address at the end of November.

[Tools]

Re: UK Services & Support Ltd Passport Scam

Trigs, if you have no fixed abode what address are you using for your passport?

[Amethyst]

Re: UK Services & Support Ltd Passport Scam

https://www.linkedin.com/pub/richard-howard/22/6a7/958

[trigs]

Re: UK Services & Support Ltd Passport Scam

Trigs, if you have no fixed abode what address are you using for your passport?

A friend's temporary place, the one they are suggesting to send agents to to collect money (it's a building site now). Although you don't need an address for a passport, you can apply in person and pick it up that afternoon if you have a valid one expiring soon, there's a cafe and pub opposite to wait in. It costs a little more to do without mail.

Regards their address I think they push the hatton gardens mailbox on the site, EC1N 9PG.

The operator on the phone seemed familiar with the site and what they do when I mentioned it, she knew the full name while I was finding the e-mails to confirm it. I hope everyone is complaining.

Oh, so that's him. Listing kickboxing and another fighting system as skills on linkedin? Quite peculier

[Tools]

Re: UK Services & Support Ltd Passport Scam

Can you not use a friends address to submit a complaint to CAB

[trigs]

Re: UK Services & Support Ltd Passport Scam

Perhaps, they took the complaint and my phone number but can't pass it on to TS apparently. I have the reference and can phone back. I'll think on it. We enjoy our quiet anonymity, it's what makes things like this comedic rather than stressful. I only posted because I found them especially nasty and opportunistic preying on vulnerable people.

I think probably others are better placed for this. I hope the bits I added help people who are being hounded see through the blag. I found this thread on google by searching for some of the email content. I'm sure others will too. Good luck everyone.

[Tools]

Re: UK Services & Support Ltd Passport Scam

I completely understand your point of view, so no worries.

[Amethyst]

Re: UK Services & Support Ltd Passport Scam

Thanks you trigs, all your efforts are appreciated. Feel free to post anything else you received from them. Hopefully your posts will help others dealing with this and encourage them to get in touch with CAB/TS.

xxxxx