There has been a sharp rise in the number of people receiving hoax emails that claim to be from the TV Licensing department, a crime body has warned.  
More than 2,500 reports of phony emails were sent to Action Fraud in September and October alone from those who have found one in their inbox.
The scam emails aim to get unsuspecting people to hand over personal and bank details to fraudsters who pretend to be from the TV Licensing department, according to the UK's national reporting centre for fraud and cybercrime.
Here is an example of one of the emails:




Last chance to have your say on draft code for bank transfer... O2 and Vodafone customers at risk of Sim swap fraud as...
Victims have been fooled into clicking on the links in emails & handing over their bank details

Once con artists have this information, they could be able to strip the victim's bank accounts as well as commit identity fraud. 
While there are a number of scam emails being sent around of a similar nature, containing different wording, they all lead to the same fraudulent website.
Television viewers have been asked to remain vigilant to this type of fraud and take care when opening emails that purport to be from the TV Licensing department.




A TV Licensing spokesperson said: 'TV Licensing will never email customers, unprompted, to ask for bank details and/or your personal information, or tell you that you may be entitled to a refund. If you have any questions regarding where and the best ways to make use of Guide to Trusted Shop, you can contact us at our web site.  
'We encourage anyone who has provided their details as a result of a fraudulent email to contact their bank urgently and to report the email to Action Fraud.' 
Pauline Smith, director of Action Fraud, said: 'Devious fraudsters are constantly using new tactics to trick victims into handing over their personal information, often with devastating consequences.

This is particularly nasty as it looks so convincing.
'It is vital that you spot the signs of fraudulent emails to avoid falling victim by following the protect advice below.
'We work tirelessly to stop fraudsters in their tracks and to prevent unsuspecting members of the public from falling victim to fraud.'