Pension scams
This page helps you spot, avoid and report scams.
Pension scams happen every day. The average victim loses £75,000, according to the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and The Pensions Regulator. This page helps you spot, avoid and report scams.
There are lots of different pension scams, but many start the same way, with a phone call out of the blue or an advert offering a free pension review.
Scammers want to trick you into handing them your money. They might promise you upfront cash or invest your money in a one-off ‘deal’ with ‘guaranteed’ high returns.
If you fall for a scam you could end up paying high charges or owing lots of tax.
You could even lose all your money.
Spot and avoid scams
MoneyHelper – a free, impartial service backed by the government – lists 10 tell-tale signs of scams.
The most important 3 are:
Phone calls
Cold calls or unsolicited text messages, emails or personal approaches – these are illegal, so no real company will do them.
Too good to be true
Promises of high returns for low risks – if it sounds too good to be true it probably is.
Being rushed
Being forced to make a quick decision – reputable companies will not rush you.
Do not give out personal details or bank account information by phone or email
We will never contact you to ask for your bank account details, your PIN or to ask you to move any money.
If someone calls you claiming to be from the Unilever Pensions Team and asks you to do this, hang up the phone straight away. If they email you, report the email as spam or junk mail.
Then contact the Unilever Pensions Team to check if the call or email was genuine. The correct number for the Unilever Pensions Team is 0800 028 0051. The only email address that we use is unileverpensionsteam@capita.co.uk
Check if your adviser is authorised
Before you deal with a person or a firm, you should check that they are regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and authorised to provide pension advice. Check the FCA’s register and warning list.
You can find an authorised retirement adviser on MoneyHelper’s register.
If you think you’re being scammed:
- Contact us straight away – we might be able to stop a transfer that hasn’t taken place yet
- Report it on the Action Fraud website or by phoning them on 0300 123 2040
If you see an advert that you think is a scam, report it to the FCA by phoning their Consumer Helpline on 0800 111 6768 or reporting it on the FCA website.
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