| Keeping the public scam safe this winter |
Hello, from the TV Licensing Communications team.
You may not have heard from us before, but we are contacting you – and a range of other organisations we work with – to ask you to help protect TV Licensing customers from being scammed.
This newsletter contains a STOP, CHECK, ASK campaign toolkit. We encourage you and your organisation to download and share the campaign materials on your channels and with the public. If you require any further information, please contact tvlstakeholders@bbc.co.uk
Throughout 2025, TV Licensing has become aware that the public continue to fall victim to increasingly sophisticated email and text scams – particularly scams that appear to be from TV Licensing, but are in fact fraudulent.
TV Licensing message is simple.
STOP β Scammers will attempt to trick you into giving away your personal or bank details. Always be wary of letters, emails, texts or phone calls that promise you money or a refund.
CHECK – Has the sender spelt your name correctly, and are there any grammatical errors? You should also make sure they have included the correct licence number, which you can check on the TV Licensing website. Be wary though, recent email spoofs are using our official email addresses. If you click or tap the email address shown, it will reveal the actual email address being used. If this shows a different email, itβs proof it’s a fake.
ASK β If you are ever unsure about a communication you have received, it is always best to ask someone β perhaps a friend or trusted advisor. You can go to the TV Licensing website and sign in to your licence at tvl.co.uk/yourlicence to check if anything is wrong or call TV Licensing on 0300 303 9695 to speak with someone who can help.
FAQs
What if you’ve already entered your personal details on a suspicious site? Report it to Action Fraud or call them on 0300 123 2040. If this included card or bank account details, talk to your bank immediately.
How do you report a scam email?
Protect your information by sending any scam or suspicious emails to report@phishing.gov.uk and the National Cyber Security Centre will investigate. If the email links to a scam website it will be blocked or taken down.
How do you report a scam text message?
Help stop the scammers by sending a photo or screenshot of the scam text message to textscam@tvlicensing.co.uk
| How you & your organisation can keep the public scam safe |
1. Promote and amplify STOP, CHECK, ASK on your social media channels
TV Licensing has produced a suite of content for your organisation to use on social media channels. The images are available in different formats and we welcome you to download and use them.
Also featured is a document containing supporting text which you can use alongside the images. Please use the hashtag #StopCheckAsk and support year-round and regularly.
The content can be downloaded via the button below and scrolling to the scams section
2. Be aware of misleading websites
TV Licensing has been made aware of websites offering a paid service to purchase, renew, or cancel your TV licence. These websites, such as mylicenceassistant.co.uk, have no affiliation with TV Licensing and do not act on behalf of TV Licensing. We urge the public to visit the official TV Licensing website at tvlicensing.co.uk, where TV licences can be purchased, updated, or cancelled for free.
3. Watch and share the TV Licensing anti-scam Help Video
TV Licensing has a dedicated anti-scam Help Video which we welcome you to share with the public via social media, newsletters, and on your website.
4. Share the TV Licensing anti-scam website page
You can also find more information about how to avoid scams and how to report one on the TV Licensing anti-scam web page. Share this page with the public via online and offline channels.
5. Download and share the TV Licensing STOP, CHECK, ASK leaflet
The TV Licensing STOP, CHECK, ASK leaflet explains what a scam email and text looks like and where to report it to. Please share this with the public via any offline and online channels.
Need further information? Contact TV Licensing
If you are interested in learning more about the support available from TV Licensing, contact the Communications team at tvlstakeholders@bbc.co.uk