THOUSANDS of people could lose access to their email accounts within weeks after a major broadband provider announced it is pulling the plug on its free service.
The firm says it can no longer afford to provide emails free of charge.
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TalkTalk has announced it is to charge anyone who would like to keep their account.
The company began to email customers in June to let them know that if they do not sign up to the new provider then their email account will be closed.
TalkTalk broadband customers will be able to continue to use the email service for free.
As a result, this will affect those who are no longer with TalkTalk but still have an associated email address.
Ini its email to customers, the company said it was changing the way it charges because it us now using a new company to provide background tech support for emails.
Email addresses affected
Any user whose email address ends with one of the following needs to be prepared:
- @talktalk.net
- @lineone.net
- @tiscali.co.uk
- @tinyworld.co.uk
- @pipex.com
It’s worth noting that this not the full list of affected email addresses as TalkTalk provides a range of services.
It has not yet released the full list.
When the change takes place
The date users need to keep in mind is October 31, 2025.
From this date anyone who has an associated email will have to pay £5 a month or £50 a year to keep it running.
This, of course, was not always the case.
In the past, if customers left TalkTalk they were able to keep their email account for up to two years.
This webmail service was provided for anyone accessing their account via a web browser for two years.
However, recent subscribers have had to pay to subscribe immediately.
Download data now
TalkTalk said it will contact all users directly via email to let them know of the new arrangements being put in place.
This email will provide an option to sign up for the new – paid-for – service which is being facilitated by Everymail from Open-Xchange.
Users who have received the email but not yet done anything about it will no longer be able to log in to their account from September 8.
From October 31, anyone not on the new service will lose their account permanently.
All associated data will also be deleted.
Any user who wants to switch to another service should download their data immediately.
How to spot a dodgy app
Detecting a malicious app before you hit the ‘Download’ button is easy when you know the signs.
Follow this eight-point checklist when you’re downloading an app you’re unsure about:
- Check the reviews – be wary of both complaints and uniformly positive reviews by fake accounts.
- Look out for grammar mistakes – legitimate app developers won’t have typos or errors in their app descriptions.
- Check the number of downloads – avoid apps with only several thousand downloads, as it could be fake.
- Research the developer – do they have a good reputation? Or, are totally fake?
- Check the release date – a recent release date paired with a high number of downloads is usually bad news.
- Review the permission agreement – this agreement gives permission for the app to take bits of your data, and fake apps often ask for additional data that is not necessary.
- Check the update frequency – an app that is updated too frequently is usually indicative of security vulnerabilities.
- Check the icon – look closely, and don’t be deceived by distorted, lower-quality versions the icons from legitimate apps.
All of this information will available in both Apple’s App Store and the Google Play Store.
