Beware scammers pretending to be from official Pension Wise service

Money Tips

Ruth Jackson
Updated on 09 September 2015 | 0 Comments

The Pensions Advisory Service, which runs free telephone pensions guidance, is warning people of calls from scammers pretending to be official representatives.

If you’re using the Government’s Pension Wise service watch out for scam artists. That’s the new warning from the Pensions Advisory Service (TPAS), which runs telephone sessions as part of the free guidance scheme that aims to help people with their retirement choices.

It says it can’t stop all the scammers who are pretending to be affiliated to the scheme.

It says it has received a number of calls from people who have been contacted by scammers pretending they are the advisory service.

You will only receive a genuine call from TPAS if it is part of a scheduled pension guidance session that you have arranged.

“Scammers are almost too bright for their own good,” Michelle Cracknell, the chief of TPAS, told Citywire. “We have had imitations of TPAS. The scammers tie it to the government initiative. People are reading in the papers that the government is doing something and putting the two together. It’s quite dangerous.”

One way to tackle the problem is to raise awareness so people can be on their guard but Cracknell admits it is impossible to prevent fraudsters completely.

“Scammers can’t all be stopped. It’s like a balloon, if you push it down in one area it will just pop up in another.”

Don’t get scammed

Follow these top tips to ensure you don't become a victim of the scammers.

Don’t respond to cold calls – TPAS will not contact you out of the blue and ask for personal details. If you are called and aren’t comfortable with the questions say you will call them back. Hang up, wait five minutes then call TPAS yourself.
Don’t give out your details – Never give out your personal details to cold callers.
Report scams – If you think you may have received a call from a scam artist report it to Action Fraud.