Missleading website - Crafty or should be closed down?
- Thread starter UKSBD
- Start date
- Original Poster
- #43
Someone sets up a website
It uses the .gov framework
Is styled to look like a .gov website
Create a favicon that on initial impression is very similar to the crown used on the .gov website
Everything about it looks like an official .gov website
Has a message on the bottom that although it says they are nothing to do with .gov has made people here assume they are an official Community initiative
Is sending out official looking emails to parish councillors asking them to register and add their details.
Is trying to get parish residents to register
Is sending out emails to businesses in the parish telling them they have to pay to keep their listing on the site.
And we have absolutely no idea who is behind the website
It uses the .gov framework
Is styled to look like a .gov website
Create a favicon that on initial impression is very similar to the crown used on the .gov website
Everything about it looks like an official .gov website
Has a message on the bottom that although it says they are nothing to do with .gov has made people here assume they are an official Community initiative
Is sending out official looking emails to parish councillors asking them to register and add their details.
Is trying to get parish residents to register
Is sending out emails to businesses in the parish telling them they have to pay to keep their listing on the site.
And we have absolutely no idea who is behind the website
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they contacted me today to renew my business listing (for a price) - which i have never had before so obviously looking to get money off businesses to be on there - some useful info about the local area - sold house prices etc. - found the bit on the agriculture tab interesting - what farms have received EU/government grants and how much - not sure they know thats public information
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Yup it's just a modern take on content scraping and a ropey biz directory. Generate lots of local dynamic content, grab loads of business info then try and flog it to business owners giving an air of local council credibility.
They've been scraping us for data, found out by accident as they tried to upsell my accountant and accidentally contacted us.
As scrapers go though, it's one of the better ones I've seen and I love the .gov theme. Ten out of ten for ingenuity and I've no doubt many people have paid up.
It will have been done by Derek in his bedroom, in between Xbox sessions
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- Original Poster
- #50
The really crafty thing is they are contacting parish councillors with very official looking documents to get them to register.
Once they do, it makes them look more authorative and the parish councillors are doing the work for them, by spreading news to the parishes via official communications.
Yes, and how many of those have only paid because they think it is an official Parish Council website
It will have been done by Derek in his bedroom, in between Xbox sessions
I think it is far to good for that.
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The support page made me smile: "The PARISH.UK Service team can only provide service support to people who work for Parish Councils."
My money is still on a Derek in his bedroom, albeit with some good skills. I'll make some discreet enquiries.
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If anyone has had any interaction with this website and they have tried to upsell you a business listing, can you fill in this form with Citizens Advice Consumer Service. Any related reports are then automatically fed back to Trading Standards.
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- Original Poster
- #55
Update on this
Looks like the LGA are now aware of this and have a message about it on their site
www.local.gov.uk
A number of Parish Council websites are talking about it and complaints starting to come in on Trustpilot
uk.trustpilot.com
Interestingly, someone from Parish is replying, but still not saying who they are and who payments go to.
Looks like the LGA are now aware of this and have a message about it on their site
Contact us
The LGA has a reception team for enquiries, and is open from 8.30am to 5pm Monday to Friday.
A number of Parish Council websites are talking about it and complaints starting to come in on Trustpilot
PARISH is rated "Bad" with 1.2 / 5 on Trustpilot
Do you agree with PARISH's TrustScore? Voice your opinion today and hear what 113 customers have already said.
uk.trustpilot.com
Interestingly, someone from Parish is replying, but still not saying who they are and who payments go to.
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I don't understand Trustpilot. Every review was 1 star, but Trustpilot goves it 2.3?Update on this
Looks like the LGA are now aware of this and have a message about it on their site
Contact us
The LGA has a reception team for enquiries, and is open from 8.30am to 5pm Monday to Friday.
A number of Parish Council websites are talking about it and complaints starting to come in on Trustpilot
PARISH is rated "Bad" with 1.2 / 5 on Trustpilot
Do you agree with PARISH's TrustScore? Voice your opinion today and hear what 113 customers have already said.
Interestingly, someone from Parish is replying, but still not saying who they are and who payments go to.
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I was told via a discussion site Github (This is a place for the UK government community to discuss potential new components and patterns for the GOV.UK Design System) that the website Parish.UK is being run by Tim Gordon ex director of Lendy, a business who went into administration owing out over £152 million
Tim Gordon does not openly promote he runs Parish.com
He answers emails using Alastair, his middle name.
Tim Gordon does not openly promote he runs Parish.com
He answers emails using Alastair, his middle name.
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I was told via a discussion site Github (This is a place for the UK government community to discuss potential new components and patterns for the GOV.UK Design System) that the website Parish.UK is being run by Tim Gordon ex director of Lendy, a business who went into administration owing out over £152 million
Tim Gordon does not openly promote he runs Parish.com
He answers emails using Alister, his middle name,
On Parish.uk at the bottom of the web page, there is a link to The Local Government association, in an attempt to deceive businesses into paying up.
I spoke to NALC (who governs local parish councils) and the local government association:
This is a statement from them:
We have received a number of queries from parish and town councils and businesses about the Parish.uk website. Parish.uk are not an organisation with any links to NALC, the LGA or Government. It is up to individual councils or businesses to decide if they wish to engage with Parish.uk
Tim Gordon does not openly promote he runs Parish.com
He answers emails using Alister, his middle name,
On Parish.uk at the bottom of the web page, there is a link to The Local Government association, in an attempt to deceive businesses into paying up.
I spoke to NALC (who governs local parish councils) and the local government association:
This is a statement from them:
We have received a number of queries from parish and town councils and businesses about the Parish.uk website. Parish.uk are not an organisation with any links to NALC, the LGA or Government. It is up to individual councils or businesses to decide if they wish to engage with Parish.uk
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This is a funny one as it does seem to have useful elements and a quick glance at discussion on other forums about the website, it looks like other people say that it could be useful.
Where I have a real issue with it though is that it is blatantly trying to portray themselves as Government run or part of a Government initiative - I know they mention they aren’t but they are definitely trying to give the impression that they are.
Obviously the whole website looks like Gov.Uk as it’s based on their templates and they have barely changed a thing about the design.
Also the letter they sent out to Church Stretton Council is definitely trying to give the impression it is from central Government or at the very least officially affiliated with it. The letter includes the phrase:
“Sources we currently use include The Office for National Statistics, local planning authorities, the Planning Inspectorate, The House of Commons Library, Companies House, etc.”
Which again gives the impression they are “Official”.
Lastly I feel that councillors at Parish level are perhaps more susceptible to fall for these types of scams than others, so it’s actively targeting people who I think are likely think “this looks official, let’s sign up”.
Like many others we also got emails saying our listing was about to expire but it’s a HARD PASS from me. I’ve got no issue with business directories but do have issues with websites using shady tactics to make people part with their money.
Letter to Church Stretton council for anyone interested: https://www.churchstretton-tc.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/156/2023/01/Appendix-I-Parish-UK.pdf
Where I have a real issue with it though is that it is blatantly trying to portray themselves as Government run or part of a Government initiative - I know they mention they aren’t but they are definitely trying to give the impression that they are.
Obviously the whole website looks like Gov.Uk as it’s based on their templates and they have barely changed a thing about the design.
Also the letter they sent out to Church Stretton Council is definitely trying to give the impression it is from central Government or at the very least officially affiliated with it. The letter includes the phrase:
“Sources we currently use include The Office for National Statistics, local planning authorities, the Planning Inspectorate, The House of Commons Library, Companies House, etc.”
Which again gives the impression they are “Official”.
Lastly I feel that councillors at Parish level are perhaps more susceptible to fall for these types of scams than others, so it’s actively targeting people who I think are likely think “this looks official, let’s sign up”.
Like many others we also got emails saying our listing was about to expire but it’s a HARD PASS from me. I’ve got no issue with business directories but do have issues with websites using shady tactics to make people part with their money.
Letter to Church Stretton council for anyone interested: https://www.churchstretton-tc.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/156/2023/01/Appendix-I-Parish-UK.pdf
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- Original Poster
- #63
It's such a shame really as it has great info on it, stuff that is available elsewhere but all put together in one place nicely
Had it been a different name, different design, not created the confusion about being official gov related, made it clear who is running it, etc. it could be really good.
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When a business is registered, I'm sure there is a thing about permissable names....can't suggest or imply that you're something you're not basically. I seem to remember there's a particular rule about your business name can't imply that you are connected to government.
This suggests that there is at least a general rule of some sort that you can't put yourself out there to give joe public the impression that you're connected to the government when you're not. That website is so clearly trying to give people that impression, that its verging on sinister.
This suggests that there is at least a general rule of some sort that you can't put yourself out there to give joe public the impression that you're connected to the government when you're not. That website is so clearly trying to give people that impression, that its verging on sinister.
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