The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) has warned UK drivers to be wary of websites offering vehicle services.
The services on these websites often come with a hefty price tag, but the DVLA offers many of them for free.
These include assisting with V5C vehicle registration and renewing a driving license for those over 70.
Most of the copycat websites in question are legitimate and do carry out the services they offer, but take money from drivers who are unaware they do not need to pay for them.
As reported by the Manchester Evening News, there are vehicle services that the DVLA already charges for but these sites will ask for even more money.
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The price of renewing a diving license directly from the DVLA is £14, but some of the copycat sites charge as much as £60.
More than 1200 UK drivers have been contacted by the organisation regarding the issue since January 2020.
MoneySavingExpert deputy editor Guy Anker said: "These copycat sites aren’t illegal, but they dress up like legitimate webpages, and use clever tricks to appear higher on search engines.
"They get you to fill in forms, which requires no more work on your part than if you’d done it yourself via the official sites, and then they overcharge you for ‘administration’ or ‘services’ – which is really just passing it to the relevant body, with no extra work involved."
If a website offering DVLA-related services doesn't have "gov.uk" in the address bar, it's a red flag that it may charge these extra fees.
Another sign is that you are being asked for money for something that was previously free for you - like updating your car's log book when you move house.
DVLA chief executive Julie Lennard said: "Gov.uk is the only site where customers will find our official services, many of which are free.
"You may be charged a premium when using other websites offering services that are not connected to DVLA."
