TV Licensing Scam Emails UK 2026 — Spot the Fakes

TV Licensing is a long-running favourite for scam emails, because almost every UK household has a licence to think about. The fakes claim your licence has expired, your payment has failed, or you are owed a refund. This guide covers the current variants and how to confirm a genuine TV Licensing message.

The 4 dominant patterns

1. Cancellation

"Your TV licence has been cancelled due to payment failure. Re-instate immediately: [link]". Highest-volume variant. Captures card details for "re-instatement" payment.

2. Renewal failure

"Unable to renew your TV licence; update payment details to continue." Often timed to coincide with real renewal dates.

3. Rebate

"You're owed a £62.50 TV licence rebate; confirm details to receive." TV Licensing does occasionally issue refunds (downgrades from colour to black-and-white licence, over-75 eligibility, deceased licence-holders) but these arrive by post or via your real TV Licensing account — never by email-link.

4. Over-75 licence change

Targets over-75 demographic (free TV licence for over-75s who receive Pension Credit). "Your free over-75 licence has been cancelled — pay now to continue access." Plays on real complexity around the over-75 rules.

Red flags

Email from any domain other than @tvlicensing.co.uk (e.g. tv-licensing.com, tvlicense.support, payment-tvlicensing.com)
Generic "Dear Customer" greeting (real TV Licensing knows your name + address)
Direct payment link (real TV Licensing payment is via account login or Direct Debit, never via email-link)
Urgency / "service suspended in 24 hours"
Spelling errors or unusual formality

How to verify a real TV Licensing contact

Log into your TV Licensing account at tvlicensing.co.uk (type URL yourself).
Call 0300 790 6165 (verified at tvlicensing.co.uk/contact).
Reference your most recent confirmation letter / email for the published phone number.

What to do if you've engaged

Bank fraud line immediately — number on back of card.
Call real TV Licensing on 0300 790 6165 to confirm your real licence status.
Change passwords on any account where you reused the same password.
Forward phishing email to report@phishing.gov.uk + scam.report@tvlicensing.co.uk.
Report Fraud report at reportfraud.police.uk.
Start PSR claim.
CIFAS Protective Registration if ID details entered.

Real TV Licensing scam email examples

The wording is varied to dodge spam filters, but the hooks are consistent.

1. The expiry or cancellation notice

“Your TV Licence has expired. To avoid a fine, renew now: [link]”

Plays on fear of prosecution. The link harvests your card and personal details.

2. The payment-failure notice

“We could not process your latest payment. Update your direct debit details to keep your licence active: [link]”

Targets the large number of households that pay by direct debit and would plausibly believe a payment slipped.

3. The refund offer

“You are entitled to a TV Licence refund of £37.50. Confirm your bank details to receive it: [link]”

The “refund” framing lowers suspicion — but a refund request that needs your full bank details through a link is a scam.

Genuine TV Licensing emails come from an @tvlicensing.co.uk address and never ask for card or bank details through a link. If in doubt, do not use the email: go to tvlicensing.co.uk by typing it yourself, or call TV Licensing on the number shown there, to check your licence status.

Frequently asked questions

What does the real TV Licensing email look like?

Real TV Licensing emails come from @tvlicensing.co.uk (NOT tv-licensing.com, tvlicense.support, etc.). They address you by name. They reference your licence number partially (last 4 digits). They link to tvlicensing.co.uk only. They never include direct payment links — payment is via your TV Licensing account (log in directly at tvlicensing.co.uk), Direct Debit, or by post. Real TV Licensing customer service: 0300 790 6165. For renewal-related queries the published number is on your existing licence.

What are the 4 dominant TV Licensing scam patterns?

(1) Cancellation — 'Your TV licence has been cancelled due to payment failure. Re-instate immediately: [link]'. (2) Renewal failure — 'Unable to renew your TV licence; update payment details to continue.' (3) Rebate — 'You're owed a £62.50 TV licence rebate; confirm details to receive.' (4) Over-75 licence change — 'Your free over-75 licence has been cancelled; pay now to continue access.' All four send to phishing pages that capture card details + sometimes ID details for compound identity-fraud.

How can I check if my real TV licence is active?

Three routes. (1) Log into your TV Licensing account at tvlicensing.co.uk (type URL yourself). Real status appears there. (2) Call TV Licensing on 0300 790 6165 (verified at tvlicensing.co.uk/contact). Mon-Sat 8.30am-6.30pm. (3) Check your latest TV licence confirmation letter / email for the published phone number. If TV Licensing customer service has no record of any cancellation / renewal failure / rebate, the contact was a scam. Real cancellation events involve postal letters; never email-only.

I paid the 'reinstatement' fee — what now?

Bank fraud line immediately — number on back of card. Section 75 / chargeback for card payments; PSR Mandatory Reimbursement for UK bank transfers. Call real TV Licensing on 0300 790 6165 to confirm your real licence status. Change passwords on any account where you reused the same password. Forward phishing email to report@phishing.gov.uk + scam.report@tvlicensing.co.uk. Report Fraud report. Start a PSR claim. If ID details entered, CIFAS Protective Registration. Watch for follow-up recovery scams.

TV Licensing fake email UK 2026