How to dodge the TV Licensing scammers

05/12/2025 Alex Day

Throughout 2025, TV Licensing has become aware that the public continue to fall victim to increasingly sophisticated email and text scams – particularly scams that appear to be from TV Licensing, but are in fact fraudulent.

Text on graphic reads:

Look out for scams

Stop: Pause before giving away any of your personal information

Check: Look for errors in the message - see examples at tvl.co.uk/scam

Ask: If you're unsure, ask someone else, or visit tvl.co.uk/scam

Their message is simple.

STOP – Scammers will attempt to trick you into giving away your personal or bank details. Always be wary of letters, emails, texts or phone calls that promise you money or a refund.

CHECK – Has the sender spelt your name correctly, and are there any grammatical errors? You should also make sure they have included the correct licence number, which you can check on the TV Licensing website. Be wary though, recent email spoofs are using our official email addresses.If you click or tap the email address shown, it will reveal the actual email address being used. If this shows a different email, it’s proof it’s a fake.

ASK – If you are ever unsure about a communication you have received, it is always best to ask someone – perhaps a friend or trusted advisor. You can go to the TV Licensing website and sign in to your licence at tvl.co.uk/yourlicence to check if anything is wrong or call TV Licensing on 0300 303 9695 to speak with someone who can help.

Frequently asked questions

What if you’ve already entered your personal details on a suspicious site?

Report it to Action Fraud or call them on 0300 123 2040. If this included card or bank account details, talk to your bank immediately.

How do you report a scam email?

Protect your information by sending any scam or suspicious emails to report@phishing.gov.uk and the National Cyber Security Centre will investigate. If the email links to a scam website it will be blocked or taken down.

How do you report a scam text message?

Help stop the scammers by sending a photo or screenshot of the scam text message to textscam@tvlicensing.co.uk

TV Licensing has been made aware of websites offering a paid service to purchase, renew, or cancel your TV licence. These websites, such as mylicenceassistant.co.uk, have no affiliation with TV Licensing and do not act on behalf of TV Licensing.

Please to visit the official TV Licensing website at tvlicensing.co.uk, where TV licences can be purchased, updated, or cancelled for free.