A family who made over £2 million using scam websites to trick people into paying for European Health Insurance Cards (EHICs), which were freely available from the official NHS website, have been sentenced.

Siblings Damien Sartip Zadeh, 32, of Angram Drive, Sunderland, and Dale Sartip Zadeh, aged 35, of Polperro Close, Ryhope, Sunderland, were directors of the companies behind the misleading websites, www.europeanhealthcard.org.uk and www.ehic-cards.org.uk.

They were jailed for nine-and-a-half years and eight years respectively after being found guilty of fraudulent trading and laundering the proceeds, between February 2013 and October 2019.at Leeds Crown Court following an investigation by National Trading Standards.

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The elaborate scam saw two brothers use a computer programme to push their misleading websites to the top of internet search results to deceive consumers into needlessly paying for their EHIC.

An investigation by the National Trading Standards eCrime team found that the websites were, in fact, a front for a clever ‘cut and paste’ job, with customers’ details simply being copied over into the NHS website form.

Damien was also convicted of engaging in aggressive commercial practices after threatening consumers who complained to prevent them from pursuing refunds. Damien and Dale have both been disqualified from being directors for 10 years.

Their parents, Diane Sartip Zadeh (aged 60) and Mahmud Sartip Zadeh (aged 62) both of Angram Drive, Sunderland, were found guilty of money laundering and were sentenced to two years, suspended for two years.

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Both are also required to attend 10 activity rehabilitation days. Mahmud Sartip Zadeh was also ordered to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work and is disqualified from being a director for five years.

Test purchasing of an EHIC by National Trading Standards through www.ehic-cards.org.uk uncovered a range of misleading features on the site.

For example, the site claimed it provided a ‘check and send’ service for consumers, but the test purchase showed the application was approved and sent within minutes of the application being made, proving that no checks could have been done.

The test purchase application was made using covert identities, so there was no way of doing any checks at all. The site also claimed it could provide fast-track and 24/7 services – despite not being possible with the EHIC.

Upon realising they had been duped into paying for a free service, many victims tried to complain but were met with hostility and aggression.

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Requests from victims to cancel or receive a refund – which they were legally entitled to – were refused and often followed-up with the threat of legal action if they attempted to claim a chargeback from their bank or credit card company.

Judge Penny Belcher, said Damien used “thoroughly aggressive and nasty threats” when consumers realised they’d been scammed and tried to get refunds.

HHJ Penny Belcher also said that some of the family's actions "shows breathtaking arrogance on your part.”