Pension freedom is seen as a new opportunity for scammers to get their hands on your pension pot.
Government pension reforms, allowing retirees to essentially do whatever they want with their pension pot, come into force in April.
For most, this offers new options on top of traditional annuities. Some are simple, others dauntingly complex, requiring loads of advice. But for the scam community, pensions freedom offers a wealth of opportunities.
Pension experts warn that they will hijack pensions freedom, grabbing lump sums for their own dodgy deals.
They'll take your money – all of your retirement savings – and “invest” it in one of their fraudulent schemes, such as overpriced land in Latin America, films that never get past the idea stage, musicals that open and close in the same week, gold in Namibia that turns out to be non-existent, student accommodation in Mexico (actually a slum) or – most bizarre of all – divorce settlements in the United States which promise a share in top Hollywood break-ups.
Once they have your money, both they and their so-called investments vanish. There are practically no rules governing what is allowed as a pension pot investment so you can't expect any protection from HMRC or anyone else.
The difference between freedom and liberation
The scam merchants have already had plenty of practice with “pensions liberation”. Liberation has very much the same meaning as freedom, but in the pensions arena they are worlds apart.
“Liberators” already claim they can free up pensions for those under 55 – there are plenty of websites where “liberation introducers” ply their dubious trade. While it's daft to cash in a pension early (even if you legally could) because you won't get another chance to save that money, it's even more stupid to send it to a scam firm.
But it's understandable for those with debts. They see their pension plan and want to use it now rather than waiting years. Others may have a business idea but can't get funding.
Whatever the reason, liberation is a racket. At best victims end up with a fraction of their pension pots. Liberators take tens of thousands of pounds as “fees”. The investments they suggest will benefit them rather than the pension saver. At worst, they take the lot but, because the pension has been cashed in early, the taxman will also hit them with a 55% penalty tax charge.
Someone turning in a typical £20,000 pension pot will not only lose all their savings but have to find a further £11,000 to pay off their tax bill.
Fighting the 'liberators'
UK regulators have shut down some schemes but they pop up again with new names at incredible speeds.
It is estimated that some plans have taken in £30 million to £50 million, with the total nabbed by pensions liberators approaching £1 billion. But these figures are an understatement – they only record what has been reported and, as with other scams, plenty of victims keep quiet about their loss. Some hope against hope for the restoration of their money while others are just too ashamed to admit to their families or even themselves that they have been duped.
As one victim turned campaigner against the fraud told me this week, “The scammers are circling. With their sharp, beady eyes they are ready to swoop on your pension. Once they get their claws into you, they will tear the flesh off your retirement savings and leave you with an empty pot and a big tax bill. Let’s make no bones about it – pension liberation is a fraud. No proper, self-respecting, professional financial adviser would ever let you go anywhere near any form of pension liberation under any circumstances.”
This victim has set up the Vulture Campaign website to warn future potential victims that there are no short cuts to retirement income and that anyone who pops up and says otherwise is a fraudster.
Building up a decent pension takes a lifetime of work. Don't hand it all over to a scam merchant.
More on scams:
Protect your home from being stolen
Is this 'Tesco' voucher giveaway a scam?
Claims management firms turn to packaged bank accounts
Scammers cashing in on airline tragedies