People are being warned of fraudulent phishing emails posing as TV Licensing | Personal Finance | Finance
The phishing emails in question demand that victims renew their licences.
Phishing is a type of online scam where criminals impersonate legitimate organisations via email, text message or advertisements.
They do this in order to steal sensitive information.
Other emails have been found to falsely notify people that they illegible to claim a refund.
In the UK, a licence is required to watch live TV in the home.
The TV Licence fee, which is used to fund the BBC, currently stands at £159 a year.
Anyone who watches the BBC live or streams it via BBC iPlayer has to pay it.
The only exception to this is if a person is over the age of 75 and receives Pension Credit.
Further to this, those who watch live TV from any broadcaster (even an overseas one) must pay the fee.
People who don’t pay the TV licence fee risk prosecution, a fine of up to £1,000, or in rare cases they can even go to jail.
The emails demand that victims renew their licence immediately or face fines.
There even exists scam emails offering false discounts for cheaper licences.
DON’T MISS:
There are various circumstances when someone may be contacted by TV Licensing.
However, TV Licensing say that they never initiate such emails unless contacted first by a customer, or if they are replying directly to a query.
In fact, TV Licensing will only email people who have actually missed a payment.
Those making mobile payments via the TV Licensing pay app may receive emails from [email protected].
Three clear signs will confirm if it’s a scam email since TV Licensing will never ask for this information.
This includes asking for a person’s mother’s maiden name, their date of birth (unless they’re over 74 and applying for a free TV Licence) and their card details to make a missed payment.
They also include part of a person’s postcode in their emails.
Genuine TV Licensing emails will always include a person’s title and last name.
It’s important to check the web address of the email in order to make sure it’s a tvlicensing.co.uk or spp.tvlicensing.co.uk domain.
