Most administrative procedures are free of charge, yet many sites charge for them in a fraudulent manner.
Each year, about one million people are trapped by false administrative sites, according to the Directorate General for Competition, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control(DGCCRF), which estimates the damage at "at least 150 million euros".
These fake administrative sites offer to carry out, for a fee, certain administrative procedures in place of the applicants. These sites do not hesitate to deceive the consumer by taking the appearance of official sites: identical reproduction of the graphic charter of the site, use of blue-white-red colors, reference to ministries. Well referenced, they often appear at the top of an online search.
In a decision dated September 3, the Defender of Rights observed, with regard to the request and delivery of vehicle registration certificates, that "users are not always aware of the possibility of carrying out these procedures free of charge via the ANTS (National Agency for Secure Titles) website"and "that, in addition to the websites of authorized private services, fraudulent websites have also developed, of which many users have been victims.
Government campaign alerts on fake administrative sites
The government launched on Monday, September 17, in partnership with the Directorate General of Competition, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control (DGCCRF) a campaign to raise awareness of these fraudulent sites.The DGCCRF publishes a list of tips to avoid being trapped by fraudulent sites. It recommends, in particular, to always consult the official website of the French administration(www.service-public.fr), which lists the official websites according to the procedures. Users should also look carefully to see if a service is really paying, and read the legal notices of the site, as well as the general conditions of sale.
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