A new study has found that nine in 10 people (88%) are missing 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 a fraudster’s tricks.
According Citizens Advice, three quarters of people questioned 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 research highlights how scams are shifting away from pension liberation schemes offering high rewards and moving towards free pension reviews and advice as a first step towards conning people out of their pension pots.
The report revealed people are particularly at risk of scams from phone calls, post and emails which come out of the blue, with as many as 10.9 million consumers recieving 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.
Gillian Guy, chief executive of Citizens Advice, 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.
“Before considering any kind of pension offer, you should check the Financial Conduct Authority’s website to make sure the company is legitimate. If you are are worried that you may have been targeted by scammers you can get help and support from Citizens Advice.”
Top tips for identifying a pension scam
Ignore any contact you receive out 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.
