Copycat firms that fool public Websites set up by private companies mimic official Government sites Public searching for services like passport renewal easily diverted Copycat sites charge fees for services that should be free or cheaper By Sean Poulter Rogue websites are using Google to cash in on people searching for official information on everything from passports to health cover and fishing licences. Private companies have set up websites that mimic those run by official government bodies, but hit users with hefty fees. Significantly, they pay Google to ensure that their names and adverts appear on the front page of searches when families are looking for information. Copycats: Privately-owned passport application websites appear above the official Government site in Google search results As a result, a large number of Britons are being diverted to commercial websites that carry charges for forms and information which should be cheaper or free. The official website of Her Majesty's Passport Office charges £72.50 for making a passport application online, which many would consider more than expensive enough. However, several companies have created copycat websites which provide the same service for up to £121.50 - a rise of 68 per cent. A search yesterday found the websites uk-passport.net and passport-uk.co.uk, which impose a fee of £40 on top of the official charge of £72.50, plus passport-uk.com, which charges a minimum fee of £49. People travelling to EU countries are entitled to a European health card, which ensures free emergency care. This is free of charge from an official government website, but copycat commercial firms charge £23. The DVLA website charges £20 for a driver who wants to change their paper licence to a photocard, however the copycats carry a fee of £50. Unofficial: The homepage of uk-passport.net shows users have to pay an extra £40 if they apply through the site 'Assistance': The unofficial sites have to state what extra services they offer in order to charge more The London congestion charge website carries a fee of £10, yet there are websites providing the same service that charge £16. Some websites are even cashing in on the purchase of fishing rod licences. The official sites charge between £27 and £72, but the commercial firms charge £47 to £92. Her Majesty's Passport Office has made several complaints to the Advertising Standards Authority about the problem, but the ASA has the power to only name and shame, rather than impose fines or a ban. A spokesman said: "It is totally unacceptable that unscrupulous companies are continuing to trick people into paying for information which is available free of charge." Google insists that it does not allow advertisers to offer official services that carry a fee unless they also make clear that the same services are available free of charge. The firms are required to spell out what extra service they are providing for their fee. Cost: It costs £72.50 to make a passport application online through the Government site, but many private sites charge around £40 extra However, the sites involved face accusations that they bury the details of the official cheaper or free websites. Google said: "Our "sales of free items and official services" policy makes it very clear that we do not allow the promotion of sites that charge for products or services that are otherwise available for free, unless they clearly state that the original service is available for free elsewhere, provide a working link to the official source where they can get the free service, as well as accurately represent the added value they are charging for. If we discover sites that are breaking this policy we will take appropriate action. Last week, Google blocked adverts for the UK-passport.net website following complaints highlighted by the Guardian that it looked like a government website. They reappeared a few days later with the wording slightly changed. A spokesman for the firm insisted it offers a genuine service that helps consumers by making sure the passport application forms are correctly filled in and checked for accuracy.