Average pension scam victims lose 22 years of savings in just 24 hours

Hubris and trusting the ‘advice’ of strangers are proving to be the undoing of scam victims. This is a recipe for disaster as fraudsters prey on the good nature of hard-working savers.

The results of scams are often heartbreaking, with thousands of people losing pensions they have worked their entire lives to diligently build up. In many cases victims are left with little or nothing to fall back on, and have to face up to working longer or living in penury in retirement.

Sadly, despite interventions from Government and a drive to raise awareness, scammers aren’t going anywhere, so savers need to be more suspicious when they receive offers out of the blue.

For many people their retirement pot could well be the most valuable thing they own, so spending a bit of time researching before parting with it could save a lot of pain.

Don’t be a victim: Five top scam avoidance tips

1. Be extremely wary of any investment ‘opportunities’ that come out of the blue – for example through a cold-call – or people claiming to be ‘advisers’ offering a ‘free pension review’.
2. Professional advice is never free and so following the old maxim ‘if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is’ is a sensible approach.
3. Make sure you know who you are dealing with. After all, your pension could be the most valuable asset you own, so don’t hand it over to someone unless you know their credentials check out.
4. Slick fraudsters will sometimes pretend to be a bona fide company when in fact they are nothing of the sort, so have a look at the FCA register and Companies House to see if the firm you are dealing with actually exists.
5. Don’t be rushed or pressured – such tactics should set off a big red warning light in your mind and are often indicative of a scam.

If you’re at all unsure speak to a qualified, regulated financial adviser. You will need to pay for this but usually the benefit far outweighs the cost.

To find out more about how to avoid pension scams, visit www.fca.org.uk/scamsmart

These articles are for information purposes only and are not a personal recommendation or advice.