Two brothers have been jailed after they scammed more than £2m from people who they tricked into paying for European Health Insurance Card (EHICs).
Damien and Dale Sartip Zadeh, who used misleading websites as part of the con, have now been jailed for nine and a half years and eight years.
The brothers were directors of the companies behind the websites www.europeanhealthcard.org.uk and www.ehic-cards.org.uk. These websites conned people into paying for EHICs - which were available for free from the official NHS website, National Trading Standards (NTS) said.
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A EHIC is a card that gives you access to medically necessary, state-provided healthcare during a temporary stay in the EU.
The elaborate scam involved the brothers using a computer programme to push their misleading websites to the top of internet search results to deceive consumers into needlessly paying for their EHIC, NTS said.
Customers’ details were simply cut-and-pasted into the NHS website form.
The brothers were found guilty at Leeds Crown Court on Monday of fraudulent trading and laundering the proceeds between February 2013 and October 2019.
Damien Sartip Zadeh, 32, of Angram Drive, Sunderland, and Dale Sartip Zadeh, 35, of Polperro Close, Ryhope, Sunderland, were jailed for nine and a half years and eight years respectively, NTS confirmed.
Damien Sartip Zadeh was also convicted of engaging in aggressive commercial practices, after threatening consumers who complained to prevent them pursuing refunds.
Both were disqualified from being directors for 10 years.
Their parents, Diane Sartip Zadeh, 60, and Mahmud Sartip Zadeh, 62, both of Angram Drive, Sunderland, were found guilty of money laundering and sentenced to two years in jail, suspended for two years.
Both were also required to attend 10 activity rehabilitation days.
The investigation, led by the National Trading Standards eCrime Team, based in York, found a range of misleading features on the site – including fictional “check and send” and fast-track functions.
The investigators found that the colour and background of the site was similar to the NHS and Government Digital Service websites, which could mislead consumers into thinking they were using official channels.
The National Trading Standards case followed repeated warnings to the family to stop the offending.
The brothers received large sums of money from the fraud, including monies which were initially transferred to their parents’ accounts and subsequently diverted back to them.
The family now faces asset confiscation proceedings, the NTS said.
Chair of National Trading Standards Lord Michael Bichard said: “This was a case of serious and organised fraud, where large sums were taken from unsuspecting, ordinary, busy people and the sites were a scam from start to finish.
“National Trading Standards and local trading standards teams continue to remove misleading websites and the successful outcome of this case sends a clear message to criminals that deceiving consumers will not be tolerated.
“We urge people to use gov.uk to find government services, the easiest and most secure place to find government services and information online, and report suspected misleading websites to the Citizens Advice consumer helpline on 0808 223 1133.”
Advertising Standards Authority chief executive Guy Parker said: “It sends a clear signal to bogus operators behind misleading websites that fraudulent practices will be met with the force of law.
“The scale of and the aggressive practices behind this scam are a reminder to everyone about the need to be vigilant when making online purchases. These scams can affect anyone, from the vulnerable to the tech savvy.”
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