Action Fraud are again issuing fresh warnings over an ongoing TV Licensing phishing scam. The National Fraud Intelligence Bureau are continuing to receive high numbers of complaints through their reporting service.
Fraudsters are sending members of the public fake TV Licensing emails, which are designed to steal personal and financial information. Action Fraud has received over 900 crime reports since April 2018,and the losses to victims totals more than £830,000.
Director of Action Fraud, Pauline Smith said: “We are continuing to see reports of fraudsters using fake TV Licensing emails to hook victims in and trick them into parting with their money. These fraudsters are very confident and extremely convincing, often using personal details to give the impression they are legitimate. We don’t want any more people to fall victim, which is why we’re encouraging you to spot the signs of fraudulent emails following the protect advice. If you believe you have been a victim of fraud, please report it to us.”
Back in October 2018, Action Fraud released a warning about TV Licensing phishing emails, after a large number of reports were received. New TV Licensing phishing emails are part of larger fraud, in which criminals are calling victims and claiming to be bank employees, convincing them to hand over their money.
According to Action Fraud, Fraudsters are sending out fake TV Licence emails regarding refunds and payment issues to people across the UK. The emails contain headlines such as ‘correct your licensing information’ or ‘billing information updates’ and ‘renew now’ to trick people into clicking on the link provided in the email. Within a week or so, fraudsters will then call the victim, claiming to be from the fraud department of the victim’s bank. By using the information the victim provided through the fake website, fraudsters appear legitimate and able to convince victims they are genuine bank employees. The fraudsters then claim that the victim’s account has been Endangered and they need to transfer their money to a ‘safe account’.
A spokesperson for TV Licensing said: “We’re continuing to work closely with Action Fraud to raise awareness of the scam emails circulating to the public, posing as genuine TV Licensing communications. TV Licensing will never email customers, unprompted, to ask for bank details, personal information or tell you that you may be entitled to a refund. Anyone who has provided their details as a result of a fraudulent email should report it to Action Fraud. If they have provided bank details, they should call their bank urgently. TV Licensing offers helpful information about scam emails on their website.”
How you can protect yourself, advice from Action Fraud:
What to do if you’ve fallen victim:
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