Nearly £31 m has been lost to pension scammers since 2017, according to the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and The Pensions Regulator. Complaints filed with national fraud reporting centre Action Fraud found that losses ranged from less than £1,000 to as much as £500,000. The average victim was a man in his 50’s.
Previous research from the FCA and the Pensions Regulator found that victims of pension scams lost an average of £82,000 in 2018, a devastating amount of money to lose.
Mark Steward, director of Enforcement and market oversight at the FCA, said: “During these uncertain times, it is more important than ever to defend your lifetime savings from scammers. Fraudsters will seek out every opportunity to exploit innocent people, no matter how much or how little you have saved.”
With fraudsters becoming ever more sophisticated, and the line between outright fraud, and those selling vastly overpriced,
unsafe investments blurring, would you know how to spot a scam?
Online pension provider Pension Bee’s ‘Scams Awareness Report’ found that up to two thirds of people failed to identify some of the most common pension scams, including offers of early pension access and free pension advice.
Those who do fall victim to pension scams risk losing 22 years’ worth of savings – the length of time it can take to build a pension pot of £82,000 – within just 24 hours, according to the FCA’s and the Pensions Regulator’s joint ScamSmart campaign.
Their research found that no-one is safe, and in fact the more educated you are, the more likely you are to fall victim to a pension scam. For example, those who have a university degree are 40% more likely to accept the offer of a free pension review, a tactic often used by fraudsters, than those without one.
Charles Counsell, Chief Executive, TPR, said: “Scammers wreck lives and no matter how big or small your savings are, every pot is a target. It may seem tempting to make a change to your pension fund now, but it’s important not to rush.”
Here, we explain how to spot a scam and what to do if you’re a victim.
Common types of scam – and how to spot the warning signs
There are lots of tricks fraudsters use to try to part you from your retirement savings. Here are some of the most common types of scam, and some of the warning signs you need to watch out for. Remember that there are lots of other scams to be aware of too, many of which have emerged during the coronavirus pandemic.
Pension review scams
With this type of scam, you’re offered a free pension review. Once you agree and hand over details of your current pension arrangements, the scammer will then recommend you transfer your money either into a high-risk scheme, or investments which simply don’t exist. You’re unlikely to see your retirement savings again.
The warning signs: You’re contacted out of the blue and offered a pension review or free help managing your pension.
Boiler room scams
You’ll be called out of the blue and told about an investment opportunity that you can’t afford to miss. Scammers may have found your name on shareholder registers of listed companies, which are publicly available. Firms running this type of scam often operate from overseas but will usually have a UK business address to convince you they’re legitimate.
Often you’ll be told that your pension will be invested in unusual investments such as overseas property, diamonds, forestry or storage units which offer supposedly lucrative returns.
Once you’ve handed over your pension pot, not only are you very unlikely to receive the returns you’ve been promised, but you won’t get your retirement savings back either.
The warning signs: You’re offered too good to be true returns on your pension savings, or a ‘one-off’ investment opportunity, and you’re put under pressure to make a decision quickly.
Pension liberation scams
Companies offer you a ‘loan’, ‘savings advance’ or ‘cashback’ from your pension, telling you that you’re free to access your retirement savings before the age of 55. If you are victim of this type of scheme, you’ll not only have to pay a hefty tax charge to the Government, at least 55% but sometimes as much as 70% of your pension pot, but you’ll also have fees taken from your pension for the transfer, which can be 20% or more of your pension savings.
The warning signs: You’re told that you can release cash from your pension early, even though you’re under the age of 55 (the earliest age you can usually take your pension benefits).
Why we fall for scams
There are lots of reasons we fall for scams. Low interest rates mean that many people have had to put up with earning paltry returns on their savings in recent years, so might be looking for ways to give their pension pot a boost in the run up to retirement. In the wake of the financial crisis and the PPI scandal, people are also increasingly distrustful of banks and might be looking for a new home for their cash.
Returns offered by scammers are usually much higher than those you can earn through your bank, so it’s entirely natural to feel tempted, especially as fraudsters often sound very authoritative or claim to be experts in their area.
Honey Langcaster-James, a psychologist, said: “Scammers employ clever techniques, such as seeking to establish ‘social similarity’ by faking empathy and a friendly rapport with their victims. They can win your trust in a short space of time and by engaging with them you leave yourself vulnerable to losing a lot of money very quickly.”
It can also be difficult to detect what’s a scam and what’s real, especially as fraudsters now use sophisticated technology to develop plausible websites to convince us we’re being offered a genuine opportunity.
How to protect yourself from scammers
To make sure your lifetime savings stay yours, it’s important to follow these four simple steps:
- Never accept any unsolicited offer to review your pension, even if the person who’s contacted you sounds plausible.
- Don’t be rushed or pressurised into making any decisions regarding your pension, even if you’re told it’s a ‘time-limited offer’.
- If you are planning to change your pension arrangements, always check that any firm you’re dealing with is authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority. You can do this by checking the FCA Register or by calling the FCA helpline on 0800 111 6768.
- You should also get impartial information or advice before making any significant changes to your pension. If you have a regulated financial adviser, it can be helpful to speak with them in the first instance. If you don’t have one, then the government supported Pensions Advisory Service provides free independent and impartial information and guidance. If you’re aged 50 or over, you can also speak with Pension Wise, another government supported resource who offer free and impartial guidance about your pension options.
(Article source: Rest Less)
