Nine in ten people (88%) miss common warning
signs of a pensions scam - such as unusually high investment returns, cold calling and offers of free financial advice - despite feeling confident they can spot fraudsters’ tricks.
A new report from Citizens Advice, ‘Too good
to be true’, reveals a mismatch between people’s confidence in spotting a scam and their ability to do so. Three in four (76%) said they are confident they can identify a pension scam but just 12%
were actually able to do so when a scam was presented to them.
The new research highlights how scammers’
tactics are shifting away from pension liberation schemes offering high rewards and moving towards free pension reviews and advice as a first step towards tricking people out of their pension
pots.
A 59 year old man sought help from Citizens
Advice after a near miss with a pension scam. He was cold called by a company offering a 'free pension review' which recommended he invest his retirement savings in Hong Kong. The man was offered an
appointment the next day but when documents were couriered to his home, he realised something was amiss and refused to sign. He has since been helped by Citizens Advice to stop the company from
contacting him again.
The report also reveals people are
particularly at risk of scams from phone calls, post and emails which come out of the blue. As many as 10.9 million consumers have received unsolicited contact about their pension in the last
year.
Almost two thirds of consumers (64%) say they
would consider an unsolicited offer about their pension and many would only consult informal sources about whether the approach is genuine.
When asked how they would check whether a
pension offer was legitimate, almost half of those who would consider an unsolicited offer about their pension (45%) say they would look up a company’s website and over a third (36%) would discuss
with family.
Only one third of people (33%) say they would
make sure the company is listed on the Financial Conduct Authority’s online register, which is the best place to check whether a company is authorised to give regulated advice.
Neeraj Sharma, chief executive of Citizens
Advice Darlington, said:
“Fraudsters have shifted their tactics to rob
people of a retirement income. It’s difficult for consumers to stay ahead of pension scams as they evolve. Many scammers use professional looking websites and
leaflets to fool their victims into signing up to free pensions advice or cold call with offers of unusually high investment returns.
“If you are are worried that you may have been
targeted by scammers you can get help and support from Citizens Advice. If you are over 50, Pension Wise guidance can equip you with the knowledge of what to
look out for to avoid falling victim.”
Top
tips for identifying a pension scam
- Ignore any contact you receive out of of the blue about your pension. This could be in person, online, on the phone or in the post
- Watch out for any promotion offering you more than 8% return on your pension investment
- Be wary of any offer to access your pension before 55. Accessing your pension early can mean you are hit with a high tax bill of 55%, as well as
losing any pension savings in a scam.
- Don’t feel pressured to make a decision about your pension straight away, instead take your time
- Watch out for extravagant sounding investments based overseas
- Check the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) online register to make sure the company approaching you is legitimate. Anyone giving financial
advice should be registered
- If you are making an investment, check the FCA ScamSmart warning list for known investment scams
- If you are transferring a pension, ask your current pension provider to check the HMRC registration of the new scheme to check it is
legitimate