TV Licence Scam: How to Spot Fake Refund and Expiry Emails

A TV Licence scam is a fake email, text, call or website that pretends to be TV Licensing, usually saying your licence has expired, your direct debit has failed or you’re owed a refund, and linking to a page that asks for your bank or card details. Don’t click the link. Check your licence by typing the official TV Licensing website address into your browser yourself, forward scam emails to report@phishing.gov.uk and texts to 7726, and if you entered card details, call your bank straight away.

These messages work because almost every UK household deals with TV Licensing at some point, and a note about a lapsed licence or a failed payment sounds routine. If you’ve already clicked, you’re not alone and you haven’t done anything unusual. This guide covers the common versions, the signs that give them away, and what to do next.

What a TV Licence scam looks like

TV Licensing collects the licence fee on behalf of the BBC, and it does send genuine emails and letters: renewal reminders, payment confirmations and notices about payment plans. Scammers copy the look of those messages closely, including the logo, colors and footer text, so the design proves nothing. What gives them away is what they ask you to do.

The goal is almost always the same: get you onto a convincing copy of the TV Licensing website and collect your name, address, date of birth, and card or bank details. Those details may be used to take money straight away, sold on, or used to make a later phone call from “your bank” sound believable.

Common versions of the scam

“Your TV Licence has expired”

The email says your licence has run out or is about to be cancelled, and you must renew today to avoid a fine or a visit from an enforcement officer. A button takes you to a fake renewal or payment page. Some versions add a countdown or a reference number to look official.

“Your direct debit has failed”

This version says your last payment didn’t go through, often blaming a bank error, and asks you to “update your payment details” through a link. It’s convincing because many people pay by direct debit and a failed payment is a real thing that can happen.

Fake refund offers

A message says you’ve overpaid, paid twice, or are due money back because of a change in your circumstances, and you need to claim the refund through a link. Refunds do exist: you can apply for one through the official website if you no longer need a licence, for example after moving abroad or into a home that’s already licensed. But a refund is something you ask for, not something that arrives in an unexpected email with a link to enter your card number.

Texts and WhatsApp messages

Shorter versions arrive by text, sometimes from a personal-looking mobile number, with a shortened link and a line like “Your licence payment was declined, act now”. Our guide to smishing explains how text-based phishing works across brands.

Phone calls

Less often, a caller claims to be from TV Licensing and says you owe money or are owed a refund, then asks for card details or tries to move the conversation to “your bank”. Caller ID can be faked, so a familiar-looking number doesn’t prove anything.

Copycat websites

Some sites that appear in search results or ads look like TV Licensing but aren’t. Always check you’re on the official TV Licensing website before you pay.

Warning signs of a fake TV Licensing message

• A refund you didn’t apply for, with a link to claim it.
• A request to enter or “update” card or bank details through a link in an email or text.
• A web address that isn’t the official TV Licensing domain. Look for extra words, hyphens, odd endings or a string of random characters. Hover over or press and hold a link to see where it really goes, without opening it.
• Threats and deadlines: pay within hours or face prosecution, a large fine or a visit today.
• A generic greeting such as “Dear Customer” or your email address instead of your name.
• A sender address that doesn’t match the organization, such as a free webmail account or an unrelated domain.
• Spelling and formatting that’s slightly off, though many scam emails are now well written, so a clean email isn’t proof it’s genuine.
• A message you weren’t expecting, for example a “renewal” reminder when you know your licence isn’t due, or a message at all when you don’t hold a licence.

What TV Licensing says about scam messages

TV Licensing publishes its own advice on spotting scam emails and texts on its official website, and it’s worth reading because it’s updated as new versions appear. In general terms, the advice is to be wary of messages that ask for bank details or offer refunds, to check the sender and the web address carefully, and to go to the official website directly rather than through a link. If you’re unsure whether a message is genuine, contact TV Licensing using details you find on its official site, not the ones in the message.

Scammers impersonate other public bodies in exactly the same way. If you’ve had similar messages about vehicle tax or a tax refund, see our guides to DVLA scams and HMRC scams.

What to do right now if you clicked or paid

1. Stop. Close the page and don’t enter anything else. If you haven’t typed anything in, you’re probably fine: delete the message and report it.
2. Call your bank or card issuer on the number on the back of your card or in its official app. Tell them you entered details on a scam website and ask them to block the card and watch for unusual payments. In the UK you can also call 159, which connects you to many banks’ fraud teams.
3. Be ready for a follow-up call. After a phishing attack, scammers often ring pretending to be your bank’s fraud team, using the details you just entered to sound genuine. They may ask you to read out a code or move money to a “safe account”. Hang up and call your bank back on a number you know.
4. Change passwords if you entered a login or reuse a password anywhere, and turn on two-step verification for your email and banking. Our guide to a leaked password covers the order to do it in.
5. Check your real licence. Go to the official TV Licensing website and confirm your licence and payments are as expected.
6. Watch for identity misuse. If you gave your date of birth, address and bank details together, check your credit report and consider Cifas Protective Registration. Our guide to identity theft in the UK explains the steps.
7. Keep evidence: screenshots of the email or text, the sender address, the website address and any payment confirmation.

How to report a TV Licence scam

What happened	Where to report it
You received a scam email	Forward it to report@phishing.gov.uk, the National Cyber Security Centre’s reporting address, then delete it.
You received a scam text	Forward it to 7726, free on most UK networks, so your mobile provider can investigate and block the sender.
You lost money or gave your details (England, Wales, Northern Ireland)	Tell your bank first, then report to Report Fraud, which replaced Action Fraud, at reportfraud.police.uk. Our guide on reporting to Report Fraud explains the change.
You lost money (Scotland)	Report to Police Scotland on 101.
You want TV Licensing to know	Use the scam reporting or contact options on the official TV Licensing website.

Reporting helps even if you didn’t click, because it lets networks and email providers block the same campaign for others. For other routes, including other countries, see our hub on how to report a scammer.

A worked example

This is an illustrative scenario, not a real client. A retired teacher in Norwich gets an email saying her TV Licence direct debit has failed and her licence will be cancelled in 48 hours. She pays by direct debit, so it seems plausible. She clicks, enters her card details and then her bank sort code on a page that looks exactly like TV Licensing.

1. When the page asks for her mother’s maiden name “for security”, she feels uneasy and closes it.
2. She calls 159, which connects her to her bank. The bank cancels her card and puts a note on her account.
3. She forwards the email to report@phishing.gov.uk and reports what happened to Report Fraud.
4. Two days later, a man calls saying he’s from her bank’s fraud team and needs her to move her savings to a safe account. Because her bank had warned her, she hangs up and calls the number on her new card. The bank confirms the call wasn’t from them.
5. She types the TV Licensing address into her browser and finds her licence is valid and her payments are up to date.

The quick call to her bank limited the damage, and knowing a follow-up call was likely stopped the second, bigger scam.

Can you get your money back?

If you paid by card, your card issuer may be able to dispute the payment or stop pending transactions, especially if you report quickly. If money left your account through a bank transfer you made, report it to your bank straight away. Under UK rules introduced in October 2024, many victims of authorized push payment scams can get their money back, although there are exceptions, for example where the bank believes you were grossly negligent or the claim is made too late. Ask your bank how the rules apply to you. If it refuses a claim you think is valid, use its complaints process and then escalate to the Financial Ombudsman Service.

Be cautious if someone contacts you offering to recover your money for a fee. That’s usually a second scam; our guide to recovery scams explains how they work.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Clicking the link to “check” if it’s real. Go to the official website yourself instead.
• Assuming a message is genuine because you pay by direct debit or because your renewal really is due soon. Scammers send these in bulk, so some always land at the right moment.
• Paying through a site found in a search ad without checking the web address.
• Trusting a follow-up call from “your bank”. Always call back on a number you find yourself.
• Not reporting because you didn’t lose money. Forwarding the message still helps block it for others.
• Staying quiet out of embarrassment. Banks deal with these reports every day, and acting fast gives you the best chance of stopping losses.

How to protect yourself next time

• Bookmark the official TV Licensing website and use only that bookmark to pay, renew or check your licence.
• Remember that refunds are applied for through the official site, not claimed through an email link.
• Never enter card or bank details after following a link in an unexpected email or text.
• Turn on payment alerts in your banking app so you see transactions straight away.
• Talk to older relatives about these messages. They’re often targeted with licence and payment scams, and a quick “check with me first” habit helps.
• Forward every suspicious message to 7726 or report@phishing.gov.uk, even if you didn’t click.

If scammers are using your own name or business to target other people, see our guide to online impersonation, and our personal reputation management team can look at what’s showing in search. If the experience has left you anxious, our help resources list support options.

Frequently asked questions

Does TV Licensing email about refunds?

You can apply for a genuine refund through the official TV Licensing website if you no longer need a licence. Treat an unexpected email or text telling you to claim a refund through a link, or asking for your card or bank details, as a scam, and check your licence on the official site yourself.

How do I know if a TV Licensing email is real?

Don’t rely on the logo or design. Check the sender and the web address, and ignore the link. Type the official TV Licensing address into your browser and look at your licence there. If the email was genuine, the same information will be in your account.

How do I report a TV Licence scam email?

Forward it to report@phishing.gov.uk, then delete it. Forward scam texts to 7726. If you lost money or shared details, call your bank and report it to Report Fraud, or to Police Scotland on 101 in Scotland.

I entered my card details on a fake TV Licensing site. What now?

Call your bank on the number on your card or 159 straight away, ask them to block the card and watch for unusual payments, and be wary of any follow-up call claiming to be your bank. Then report it to Report Fraud and keep screenshots as evidence.