Dartford Crossing: drivers warned over scam websites that lead to fines

The Guardian - World NewsCenter-LeftEN 3 min read 100% complete by Shane HickeyJanuary 11, 2026 at 08:00 AM

AI Summary

medium article 3 min

Drivers are being warned about scam websites that mimic official toll and charge payment sites, such as the Dart Charge for the Dartford Crossing. These fraudulent sites often appear in search results and trick users into paying inflated fees or paying for free services, while failing to pay the actual toll. Victims often only realize they've been scammed when they receive a penalty charge notice. National Trading Standards advises motorists to ensure they are using the official Gov.uk website to pay tolls and charges, as thousands have been defrauded. In October, two men were sentenced for operating over 40 copycat sites, defrauding consumers of over £2.25 million.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Bristol Crown Court 40% Wales 40% England 40% Kent 50% Mike Andrews 50% Thames 50% Essex 50% Thomas Galland 60% Shezad Parvez 60% Queen Elizabeth II Bridge 70% National Trading Standards ×280% Dartford Crossing ×490%

Keywords

scam websites 100% dartford crossing 90% toll charges 80% fraudulent sites 70% penalty charge notice 70% online scams 60% national trading standards 60% gov.uk 50% ulez 40% consumer protection 40%

Sentiment Analysis

Very Negative

Score: -0.60

Source Transparency

Source

The Guardian - World News

Political Lean

Center-Left (-0.40)

Far LeftCenterFar Right

Classification Confidence

90%

Geographic Perspective

Dartford Crossing

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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scam websites dartford crossing toll charges fraudulent sites penalty charge notice online scams national trading standards gov.uk ulez consumer protection

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