📺 TV Licence Scam Emails UK — How to Spot Them

Sunday, 02 August 2026

Fake TV Licence emails are one of the most common phishing scams in the UK. Criminals send emails claiming your licence has expired, you owe money, or you're owed a refund — with a link that steals your card details.

Because almost every household has a TV licence, the scam has a huge reach. Here's how to spot it and what to do.

The main TV Licence scams

Scam	How it works
Refund email	"You're owed £67.50 — claim your refund" → fake page asks for card details
Unpaid licence threat	"Your licence is overdue — you face a £1,000 fine" → pay now link
Payment failed	"Your direct debit failed — update payment details"
Account suspended	"Your TV licence account has been locked" → verify details
Fake fee increase	"The licence fee is increasing — confirm your details to avoid charges"
Fake app / QR codes	Doorstep and QR variants pointing to fake payment pages

How to spot a fake TV Licence email

• Sender address — real TV Licensing emails come from @tvlicensing.co.uk or @email.tvlicensing.co.uk. Check the actual address, not the display name
• Urgency — "immediate action", "final reminder", "£1,000 fine"
• Threats — genuine TV Licensing won't threaten a fine by email
• Links — hover: lookalike domains (tvlicens-ing, tv-licence-refund, etc.)
• Requests for payment — TV Licensing never asks for card details via email link
• Poor spelling and logos — cloned but slightly off branding

⚠️ The golden rule: TV Licensing never emails you a link to pay or claim a refund. Payments and refunds are handled through your account at tvlicensing.co.uk — always go there directly.

What to do

If you get a suspicious email:

1. Don't click links or open attachments
2. Forward it to Action Fraud at [email protected] (the NCSC's reporting address) — or report via actionfraud.police.uk
3. Delete it
4. Check your real TV licence status by logging in at tvlicensing.co.uk directly

If you've clicked and entered details:

1. Call your bank's fraud line immediately — cancel the card
2. Report to Action Fraud — 0300 123 2040 — get a crime reference number
3. Change your passwords if you used the same ones elsewhere
4. Run a malware scan if you downloaded anything
5. If money was taken, see how to get your money back after a scam

Report it — always

• Forward phishing emails to [email protected]
• Report to Action Fraud — 0300 123 2040 / actionfraud.police.uk
• Report to TV Licensing — they have a scam-reporting page at tvlicensing.co.uk

The rules that keep you safe

• ❌ TV Licensing never emails payment links or refund links
• ❌ They never threaten fines by email
• ✅ Always go to tvlicensing.co.uk directly — type the address yourself
• ✅ Check your account in your browser, never via a link in an email
• ✅ Tell older relatives — this scam targets them hardest

Related guides

• What is phishing and how to spot it
• Anti-phishing laws UK — what's illegal and how to report
• Parcel delivery scam texts — Royal Mail, DPD, Evri
• What to do if you've been scammed

CyberAware UK — helping families report crime, recover from scams, and stay safe online.