Coventry residents are being warned of a cunning new scam targeting local television viewers after a report made by a local resident.

The scammers are sending out a genuine-looking e-mail claiming to come from TV Licensing.

The scam e-mail offers a refund for over payments of TV licence fees, but states that it needs bank details to be updated before the refund can be released.

The e-mail then directs people to a website designed to look like TV Licensing's own website with a form to enter details.

TV Licensing have confirmed they will NOT contact anyone by e-mail about refunds.

They are urging those who have received one not to respond in any way or open attachments or click links in the e-mail text.

Links and attachments are likely to contain malware which if opened may be downloaded and installed on your device. Malware can monitor the user’s activity to capture banking or other private information, which is then transmitted back to the criminals.

Those who do believe they may be due a refund can apply via the official TV Licensing website.

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We still receive regular reports involving phone calls from people falsely claiming that your PC has been hacked or that they have been notified that you have a virus or other issues with your PC. They claim they can fix it for a fee but will require remote access to your computer.

Allowing remote access may let the caller install an antivirus programme that you can often download for free from the Internet. They may also take the opportunity to interrogate your PC for personal information which could be used for fraudulent purposes. They could also install malware that may damage your PC.

Our advice as with any unsolicited calls from someone offering a service is not to deal with them no matter what they say or claim.

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More than 40 fraudulent websites have been shut down in a major crackdown on the sale of fake degrees.

The sites closed included those selling authentic-looking certificates using the names of real British universities. Others were providers offering distance learning courses but were not valid UK degree awarding bodies.

An agency set up to investigate the issue, Higher Education Degree Datacheck (Hedd)  said it had reports of more than 90 bogus institutions.

This follows a BBC South East investigation which found fake University of Kent degree certificates on sale on-line in China for £500.

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SPAR is recalling its Egg Mayonnaise Sandwich Filler 220g as the product has been incorrectly labelled with a ‘use by’ date of 17.01. The product should have been dated 02.01.

Risk: Consuming the product after its intended use by date could pose a risk of food poisoning.

Product: Spar Egg Mayonnaise Sandwich Filler

Pack size: 220g

Batch codes: ‘Use by 17.01’

Advice: If you have bought the product do not eat it. Instead, customers can return it to the store for a full refund.

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