FAKE TV licensing emails have been the latest scam to hit inboxes.
The email which appears with a convincing logo and title contain misinformation that the recipient is eligible to receive a TV licence refund. It continues to state that due to invalid account records attempts to credit the customers account failed.
The email contains a link to a cloned version of the official TV Licensing website that asks for login and bank details. Below a link appears asking the recipient to click a ‘refund me now’ button.
One local woman who recently received a scam email said it was so convincing that she almost submitted her account details. “I received a similar email and in the spur of the moment you could think that this was a legitimate email. I had clicked the link and everything looked to be above board. The branding in it was very similar to the official website.
“I hadn’t been expecting an email from the company and this prompted me to pause and consider whether or not it was infact legitimate.
“After carrying out some checks I found out that this was a scam email. Thankfully I hadn’t given away any information but I can understand how easy it is to be tricked into thinking that emails like these are genuine.
Warnings to be wary of the emails have also been issued by the TV Licensing Agency and the Northern Ireland Trading Standards Service .
Advice from the organisation states, “If you get one of these emails, please delete it and do not click any of the links they contain. If you have clicked any of the links, and submitted any personal information, report it to the Action Fraud Helpline 0300 123 2040 immediately. If you gave any bank or card details, you also need to ring your bank straight away.”
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