UK. Pension scam enquiries up 462%

Visits to the FCA’s Scam Smart website have increased 462 per cent in less than two months following its joint scam awareness campaign with The Pensions Regulator.

The Scam Smart site – which allows people to compare pension fund options and find information on potential scams – previously had an average 562 page views daily.

This rose to an average of 3,145 a day in the 55 days immediately following the summer campaign, the regulators have said.

The regulators’ campaign is calling for people to check pension providers on the FCA Register before agreeing to offers.

People are also being asked to consider getting impartial information and advice before making decisions.

Pensions minister Guy Opperman says: “I would urge savers to always exercise caution and seek independent guidance or advice before making important financial decisions – free, impartial guidance is available from Pension Wise or The Pensions Advisory Service.

“Pension scams are devastating for people and can rob them of the retirement they planned. Raising awareness of how these heartless criminals operate is key to tackling fraud, and the response to this campaign is encouraging.”

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