Couple dodges €240 UK travel permit scam after spotting fake website

One wrong click could have cost them €240. Their quick thinking saved them from a fake ETA site—but many travellers aren't so lucky.

, and Administrator

2026 March 27 . 5:09 PM

1 min read

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Couple dodges €240 UK travel permit scam after spotting fake website

A couple from Bielefeld narrowly avoided losing money to a fake website while applying for a UK travel permit. They had planned to get an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) but ended up on a suspicious site instead. After realising something was wrong, they blocked their credit card and reported the incident to police.

The couple began their application by searching online for the ETA process. They entered their personal details and payment information on a website they believed was official. When the total charge reached around €240, they grew suspicious—the real cost of an ETA is only €18.50 per person.

They immediately refused the transaction and contacted their bank to block the card. On March 13, 2026, they filed an online police report about the fraud attempt. Authorities noted that while no specific cases of ETA scams had been recorded in Germany in 2025, general visa fraud remains a known risk. The official ETA application must be submitted through the UK government's website at https://www.gov.uk/eta. The German Consumer Advice Centre also offers advice on identifying fake sites at https://www.verbraucherzentrale.de/wissen/vertraege-reklamation/kundenrechte/eta-fuer-grossbritannien-beantragen-wie-erkenne-ich-betruegerische-seiten-106439.

The couple's quick action prevented financial loss. Police confirmed no official reports of ETA fraud in Germany for 2025, but scams targeting travellers remain a concern. Authorities continue to urge applicants to use only the official UK government portal for ETA submissions.