TV licence concessions
Under certain circumstances, you might be able to get a free or discounted TV licence.
Be cautious about any emails from TV Licensing that ask you to update your personal or banking details. There are numerous reports of people receiving scams.
Report it to Action Fraud or call them on 0300 123 2040. If you provided your bank account details, talk to your bank immediately.
TV Licensing are sending letters to anyone aged 75+ asking them to either pay for their TV licence or apply for a free one. The letter TV Licensing sends will include your licence number, your title and your last name and they will only ask you to pay using the following options:
If you are contacted and asked to pay for your TV licence using a different website or by posting your details to a different address, this is a scam.
There are several ways someone might attempt a TV licence scam. They might:
While the most common TV licence scams tend to be via email, if you're at all suspicious of any contact that claims to be about your TV licence then contact the TV licensing company yourself by searching the contact details. Never use the details given in any communications you're suspicious of.
These emails are a phishing scam, a common type of email fraud where scammers will send bogus emails pretending to be from a respectable organisation. This is to trick you into clicking through to a fake website where you will enter your personal details.
For this scam, the emails are disguised to look like they have been sent by the TV Licensing organisation.
They may say you're entitled to a refund for an overpayment or warn that your licence is about to expire. They will then ask you to respond by entering your bank details on a fake website.
Although the emails may use the TV Licensing logo and have other features that make them look authentic, you should never trust them.
There are a few common signs that you shouldn't trust an email:
If you see this suspicious email, don't reply with your details or open any links or documents. Delete it straight away.
You can report the phishing attempt to Action Fraud. Not all reports will be investigated, but every report will help Action Fraud better understand the scale of a problem and the methods that scammers are using.
If you're still unsure, you can contact the TV Licensing company directly using the phone number that is on the official TV Licensing website.
If you've been the victim of a scam, remember that you're not alone. Scams are increasingly common and many people are caught out. Here are some tips on what you should do next:
If you still feel concerned, you can speak to someone at Age UK. Call our advice line on 800 678 1602 (it's free to call and open from 8am to 7pm, 365 days a year) or contact your local Age UK.
Under certain circumstances, you might be able to get a free or discounted TV licence.
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