Protecting your pension from cyber fraud

No matter your age or how you use technology staying cyber smart is always a good idea. Online fraud continues to rise often targeting older people. Here we outline common scam tactics and how to stay vigilant to protect your pension.

Criminals are increasingly turning to online avenues when it comes to scams. Fraudulent websites, emails and social media accounts can often look very convincing and hard to spot. It is important to be aware scammers sometimes try to impersonate trusted organisations, including pension schemes or HM Revenue & Customs. 

Their aim is often to convince you to reveal your personal, financial or security details, to send money, or to change your bank details to an account they control. They often create a sense of urgency, particularly around payment or bank detail changes. Knowing what to watch out for can help you and your pension stay protected.

Common tactics	Stay safe, stay secure
Requests for financial information or security details by email or phone. Loopholes’ to unlock additional state benefits. Promises of pension increases or tax-free payouts outside RWE Group rules. Scare tactics saying your pension will be stopped. Fake promises of a pension or tax refunds.	Never share passwords or full security details via email, phone or links. Use strong, unique passwords for your pension and email accounts. If you are not sure if a website or email is legitimate DO NOT click on links. Pause before responding to urgent or unexpected requests. Verify suspicious emails by contacting the organisation directly using official contact details (not those on the email).

How to check

If you are not sure whether an email or request is genuinely from WTW, especially around payment details or urgent requests, contact WTW.

If you receive messages about pensions, tax or benefits that don’t come from us, you can contact MoneyHelper – a free, impartial service backed by the UK government offering guidance on pensions and retirement finances.