sorn scam!

steve69

steve69

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I was SO nearly scammed as I tried to SORN my Moho just now!
Googled SORN
Results came up with SORN intructions at top of google results page.
Clicked on this - thinking it was gov.uk site and followed the instructions as normal.
Only at the last page did it request a payment of £27.50 to carry out the SORN!!!!
I then looked at the address bar and saw it had nothing to do with gov.uk site at all.
Closed the site immediately.
I then sorned in the usual way (gov.uk), no cost.
Has anybody been caught out by this i wonder?
 
Unfortunately there are lots of sites like this about, for Passports, road tax, driving licences etc, even for the crit air type sites.

They're not really scams, as everything is above board, it is up to the user to check exactly who they are dealing with.
 
Use DuckDuckGo as your search engine - probably won't stop all the scams but you know it won't be tracking your every move like Google. And yes, technically being tricked into paying for something that you could get for free (well, nearly free, as it is your tax that funds the service in the first place) is not a Scam but it is pretty shabby behaviour.

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TDub49 said:
Use DuckDuckGo as your search engine - probably won't stop all the scams but you know it won't be tracking your every move like Google. And yes, technically being tricked into paying for something that you could get for free (well, nearly free, as it is your tax that funds the service in the first place) is not a Scam but it is pretty shabby behaviour.
Click to expand...
On DuckDuckGo the gov.uk site is top of the list when I search for "Sorn". I don't understand why people use Google search (and I'm typing this on a Google phone).
 
Have just emailed AIB to confirm no issue with MH being sorn'd.

Maybe a saga as auto reply is unhelpful.

Will advise.
 
Had the same thing yesterday as I had to renew my driving licence. Put the gov.uk address into the search engine and it came up with a site that wanted to charge me double the cost for the privilege of using them. I binned that and went to the correct DVLA site in the end. It pays to make sure you have the correct site.
 
I got scammed trying to cancel my virgin media tv , internet and phone. Got so frustrated trying to ring them I tried to cancel it online. Came across a clone of Virgin Media website. For £1. 40. they would take care of cancellation. Paid the amount and received a template for a letter to send to virgin. Laughed at this but not too concerned with being scammed for 1.50. A few months later scrutinised my bank statement, they had been taking £27 a month out.
 
Good News.

Had a phone call and email from AIB confirming MH is covered as per your insurance as if taxed.

Full marks to AIB for following up with both as confirmation is recorded in both voice recording and writing.

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Last edited:
RandallC said:
Have just emailed AIB to confirm no issue with MH being sorn'd.

Maybe a saga as auto reply is unhelpful.

Will advise.
Click to expand...

Any reason why it wouldn't be? Two of my vehicles have been sorned on and off over the past couple of years, not always connected with lockdown.
 
Bailey58 said:
Any reason why it wouldn't be? Two of my vehicles have been sorned on and off over the past couple of years, not always connected with lockdown.
Click to expand...

No

Was for those who have doubts, Been a few posts and comments about possible insurance issues vis vehicle not being "Road Worthy" if not taxed.

Can't see why a lower risk situation for an insurance company would be an issue, however given the investment, never hurts to be sure.
 
Parrot Face said:
I got scammed trying to cancel my virgin media tv , internet and phone. Got so frustrated trying to ring them I tried to cancel it online. Came across a clone of Virgin Media website. For £1. 40. they would take care of cancellation. Paid the amount and received a template for a letter to send to virgin. Laughed at this but not too concerned with being scammed for 1.50. A few months later scrutinised my bank statement, they had been taking £27 a month out.
Click to expand...
It's a shame. £1.50 for getting someone to deal with Virgin Media for you would have been a bargain!
 
Lenny HB said:
I just typed Sorn into Google, gov site was top of the list.
Click to expand...
As I found, that is not always the case....I just assumed it was gov.uk because it appeared very similar to their website. The form was little bit different, but then these "forms" change all the time, so went along with it.

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steve69 said:
As I found, that is not always the case....I just assumed it was gov.uk because it appeared very similar to their website. The form was little bit different, but then these "forms" change all the time, so went along with it.
Click to expand...
what was the url of the site you're trying to warn us about? :think:
How similar to a gov.uk one is it?
 
Is this a reproduction of the OP search:
1609770686182.png

Where the top 'hit' is an ad.
But the 1st search item is the real gov.uk site?

That top ad is likely to catch a few people out. imo

edit: fwiw, no ad for the same search via bing ;)
 
kevenh said:
what was the url of the site you're trying to warn us about? :think:
How similar to a gov.uk one is it?
Click to expand...

When I googled again, that site had mysteriously disappeared, and the gov.uk one was then at the top!
Like I said - it seems like a scam and google are in on it!
 
steve69 said:
When I googled again, that site had mysteriously disappeared, and the gov.uk one was then at the top!
Like I said - it seems like a scam and google are in on it!
Click to expand...
Doesn't look like Google are on it.
More likely it's a feature of searches that an ad isn't repeated for the same search.

That's based on me refreshing the Chrome page that I took that screen shot of and the ad removing.

Then opening a new browser (edge) and getting the ad back.
Refreshing the Edge search session also cleared the ad.
 

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