Email scam

Image of a laptop and mobile phone with an email alert on each screen

Warning - refund email scam

A small number of our customers have received scam email messages saying they are due a refund. A link directs customers to a fake version of the official TV Licensing website which asks them to enter personal information and bank details.

If you receive a similar email message, please delete it. If you have already clicked the link, do not enter or submit any information. TV Licensing never sends refund information by email and is investigating the source of this fraud.

If you suspect an email might be from a scammer, do not click on any links or open any attachments in the email. Scammers may trick you into installing viruses or giving away your personal and bank details on a fake, fraudulent or scam website.

If you have any doubts whether an email 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.

Here’s how to tell if an email you’ve received is genuine or a potential scam.

We will never:

  • email you to tell you that you’re entitled to a refund.
  • ask you to pay additional money for our services, e.g. when you’re buying a licence or changing your details.
Check the email address

We will almost always use one of the following email addresses:

donotreply@tvlicensing.co.uk

no-reply@tvlreminders.co.uk

Occasionally, we partner with other companies to send out emails. These companies include InfoBase-X and Acxiom Limited, who may email you – on behalf of TV Licensing – from Infobase-XConsumer@dm-uk1.com.

Check the email subject line

Anything along the lines of "Action required", "Security Alert", "System Upgrade", "There is a secure message waiting for you", and so on, should be treated as suspicious.

Check the links go to the TV Licensing website

If you are on a desktop computer, hover over the links in the email (but don’t click them) to see their destination and check the web address carefully. If you can’t hover over the links (e.g. because you are on a phone or tablet) or are not sure what to do, just go directly to the TV Licensing website.

Check for a change in style and errors in spelling or grammar

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

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

Please also check your spam folders

We do our best to ensure that our emails aren’t treated as spam. But, due to the strict settings of some email accounts, this isn’t always possible. So, if you’re expecting an email from us but haven’t seen it, please check your spam folders just in case.

Still not sure?

If you’d like more information about potential scam emails and how to spot them, you might find the following websites helpful:

Find out more about text scams.

General information about TV Licensing is available in other languages:

© 2018 TV Licensing