How do I know if a text from TV Licensing is genuine and not a scam?

If you have received a text message and are unsure if it’s from the official TV Licensing, the following advice may help you:

Did you share a mobile number with us?

When you manage your TV Licence online, you may have given us a mobile number. If you did, we may send you SMS messages. For example, to let you know if a payment has failed or to ask you to take part in a customer satisfaction survey.

If you didn’t give us a mobile number then the text you’ve received is not genuine.

Our privacy policy tells you more about how we contact you and you can change your contact preferences at any time.

How do I know if a text survey is from TV Licensing and not a scam?

We only send surveys from one of two mobile numbers. English language messages are sent from 07860010193 and Welsh language messages from 07860010194. If you receive a similar text from another number, please delete it.

More about TV Licensing customer surveys

Is the text out of the blue?

Has the text arrived at a very different time than usual? We only send texts between:

  • 8am and 7pm Monday to Friday
  • 8am and 6pm on Saturday.

We do not send texts on Sundays.

Check the sender

Our texts will always be from ‘TV Licensing’. The only exception is if you pay by payment card and receive a message about a missed payment with the option of replying YES to take payment from your card stored with TV Licensing. This message will be sent from 07786 200 611.

Check the links go to the TV Licensing website

You will only be asked to go to tvlicensing.co.uk. If you are not sure, go to the TV Licensing website directly by typing tvlicensing.co.uk into your web browser.

Check the number we ask you to call

We only use these numbers:

  • 0300 555 0293 if you pay by payment card
  • 0300 790 6082 if you pay by Direct Debit
Does it ask for personal information?

Our texts will never ask you for any personal information such as credit or debit card numbers or your security code. We will never ask you to set up a payment plan by text message.

Payment via SMS is only ever against your registered credit/debit card and will therefore only require the word ‘YES’ to action the payment.

Are there any changes in style, spelling and grammar?

Are there any spelling mistakes, missing full stops or other grammatical errors?

Often scammers will take the real texts and amend them. Look out for changes in the wording used, especially if it seems too casual or familiar.

Need any further help or advice?

If you have any doubts if a text or call has come from us you can visit the TV Licensing website directly by typing tvlicensing.co.uk into your web browser or you can use our other contact details.

We suggest the following websites which provide some useful information:

Find out more about email scams.

General information about TV Licensing is available in other languages:

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