Pension Scams
Common scams and tips on avoiding them
Topics
Don't let a scammer reap the benefits of your hard work by taking your pension.
Common scams can include:
- Free and unsolicited offers of pension reviews or financial health checks
- Promises of better returns on savings
- The promise of accessing your pension before the age of 55 through upfront cash, tax loopholes, pension loans
- Time limited offers or offers forcing you into a quick decision
- Being contacted out of the blue - cold calls regarding pensions are illegal
Tips for spotting and avoiding scams and being hacked
- Scammers will use bogus websites, emails and calls to trick you, make sure that any emails you receive regarding your Imperial pension are from the Imperial Pension Fund office
- We will never take your bank details over the phone so if asked hang up
- Do not click on embedded attachments or links within emails unless you are sure they have been sent from a member of our team
- Use long and strong passwords containing a mixture of numbers, upper and lower case letters and symbols for your online pension accounts with at least 8 characters
- You should be suspicious of someone putting pressure on you to make important financial decisions quickly and you feel you are being rushed
- Be aware that access to pension savings before the age of 55 is only ever possible in rare cases such as ill health
Useful links to websites with more information about how to protect yourself from pension scams
