In short
Most common fake: Your TV Licence payment failed, update your billing information.
Safest check: Check whether the email uses your name or part of your postcode, not a generic greeting.
Where to report it: Forward scam emails to report@phishing.gov.uk.
What TV Licensing says
TV Licensing says it will never text you about a refund or ask for bank details by text, and it will not ask you to enter personal details on its website until you have signed in to your licence. Its genuine emails greet you only by name and/or part of your postcode, and come from addresses such as donotreply@tvlicensing.co.uk. Source: TV Licensing
Common fake TV Licensing messages
These are the 5 shapes a fake TV Licensing message usually takes. They are listed in the order we see them most often, and none of them is something TV Licensing itself does.
- Your TV Licence payment failed, update your billing information
- You are owed a refund, click to claim it
- Your licence has expired, renew now to avoid prosecution
- Action required: correct your licensing information
- Security alert asking you to confirm your account and bank details
TV Licensing's real web addresses
Genuine TV Licensing links and emails use these domains. Look at the part just before the first single slash: tvlicensing.co.uk is real, but tvlicensing-support-center.com or tvlicensing.co.uk.account-check.top are not.
- tvlicensing.co.uk
Scammers can also hide a fake link behind real-looking text. Learn how to read a web address.
How to check a TV Licensing message safely
- Check whether the email uses your name or part of your postcode, not a generic greeting
- Look closely at the sender address and hover over links before clicking
- Go to tvlicensing.co.uk yourself and sign in to check your licence
- Call TV Licensing on a number listed on tvlicensing.co.uk if you are unsure
How to report a fake TV Licensing message
- Forward scam emails to report@phishing.gov.uk. Official details on tvlicensing.co.uk
- Screenshot scam texts and email them to TV Licensing at textscams@tvlicensing.co.uk. Official details on tvlicensing.co.uk
- If you lost money or shared bank details, contact your bank and report it to Report Fraud on 0300 123 2040. Official details on reportfraud.police.uk
Also report it to the official fraud service in your country. See the worldwide list.
If you clicked, paid or shared details
Act quickly. It makes a difference.
- If you entered card or bank details, call your bank now using the number on your card, and ask them to block the card.
- If you entered a password, change it at tvlicensing.co.uk, typed into your browser yourself, and turn on two-step verification. Do not use any link from the message.
- Expect follow-up calls or messages pretending to help, sometimes claiming to be from TV Licensing security. Never share one-time codes and never move money to a "safe account".
- Forward scam emails to report@phishing.gov.uk, then delete the message.
More help: Phishing links and fake login pages and what to do after a scam.
How to protect yourself next time
Use a password manager
It only fills in your password on the real website, so a look-alike login page gets nothing. It also makes a different password for every account, so one leak doesn't open the rest.
Free: Bitwarden has a free plan, and even the password manager built into your phone or browser beats reusing one password everywhere.
- NordPass Partner link Password manager with a free plan and a family plan for up to six people.
Turn on two-step verification, ideally with a security key
With two-step verification, a stolen password isn't enough on its own. A hardware security key goes further: it simply doesn't work on a fake site, so it can't be phished.
Free: Two-step verification is free. Switch it on in the security settings of your email, bank, WhatsApp and social media accounts today.
- YubiKey (Yubico) Partner link A small USB or NFC key you tap when you log in. It will not work on a fake site.
Compare the tools that help, and what each costs
Links marked Partner link may earn us a commission, at no cost to you. It never changes our advice, and the free option always comes first. Affiliate disclosure.
Questions people ask
Does TV Licensing send messages asking for payment or personal details?
TV Licensing says it will never text you about a refund or ask for bank details by text, and it will not ask you to enter personal details on its website until you have signed in to your licence. Its genuine emails greet you only by name and/or part of your postcode, and come from addresses such as donotreply@tvlicensing.co.uk.
How can I check if a TV Licensing message is real?
Check whether the email uses your name or part of your postcode, not a generic greeting. Look closely at the sender address and hover over links before clicking. Go to tvlicensing.co.uk yourself and sign in to check your licence. Call TV Licensing on a number listed on tvlicensing.co.uk if you are unsure.
How do I report a fake TV Licensing message?
Forward scam emails to report@phishing.gov.uk. Screenshot scam texts and email them to TV Licensing at textscams@tvlicensing.co.uk. If you lost money or shared bank details, contact your bank and report it to Report Fraud on 0300 123 2040.
I clicked a link in a fake TV Licensing message but did not enter anything. Am I at risk?
Opening a link is far less serious than filling one in. Close it, and if you need your account, reach it by typing tvlicensing.co.uk yourself. Clicking does tell the sender your number is live, so expect more messages for a while: forward scam emails to report@phishing.gov.uk.
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Official sources and further reading
We check our pages against official advice from the organisations themselves and from government agencies.