Anyone with a TV Licence needs to stay alert and take care before responding to any fresh emails arriving into their inbox. That’s the latest warning from Action Fraud UK with the fraud and cyber reporting centre warning UK residents about the dangers of TV Licence scams, which appear to be getting more popular. Fraudsters are now sending out messages that will pretend to be from government services which then ask users to click on links that take them to bogus websites that appear real.
The emails suggest that the user’s TV Licence is about to expire and that they should renew it through a website immediately or lose it. It’s that sense of urgency that can lead some to click on the fake link and begin entering highly personal details.
In a tweet, Action Fraud warned that it had received 3,455 reports over just the past two weeks alone, relating to fake emailing concerning TV licenses.
In the message on social media, they wrote: “The emails state that the recipient’s TV Licence is about to expire, or that there was an issue with their latest payment.
“The links provided in the email lead to genuine-looking websites that are designed to steal personal and financial details.”
They advised users that real TV Licence emails will always include your name and/or part of your postcode.
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Last month, TV Licensing, which is the official body responsible for collecting the fee, warned Twitter users about the growing number of scams in this department.
They wrote: “Scams are on the increase. Remember, we will never call to ask for:
“Your mother’s maiden name
“Your date of birth
“Your card details
“If you think you’ve been targeted by scammers, send a photo or screenshot of the message to [email protected]. #StopCheckAsk”
It is important not to disclose such information to someone over the phone, as hackers can use these simple answers to break into your personal accounts. If you receive a message that you have doubts over, Action Fraud advised users to contact the organisation directly.
You should never use the phone number or email address sent in the message, but rather go to the official website and find them for yourself.
Furthermore, you should always remember that your bank (or any other official source) will never ask you to supply personal information via email.
Action Fraud added that if you spotted a suspicious email, you can Forward it to the Suspicious Email Reporting Service (SERS) [email protected]
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