The importance of keeping your data safe
With scams becoming more sophisticated, it is important to ensure that you are doing your best to keep your information safe. Unfortunately, many people each year fall victim to these scams, leaving some of them with nothing to retire on. This short guide will provide some basic tips for keepings safe, along with some useful links to explore.
The Warning Signs
- Being contacted unexpectedly.
- Someone trying to pressure you by creating a sense of urgency.
- Downplay the risks to your money
- A promise of returns that sound too good to be true.
- Someone is offering an exclusive offer to you and or asking you not to tell anyone.
Keeping safe
- Hang up and call back—If you ever receive a suspicious phone call from places such as HMRC, hang up, head to the official company website in question, and call back.
- Seek advice – Whether it’s an offer that sounds too good to be true or something you’ve been told not to share, seek advice. If things don’t look or sound right, speak with a family member or financial adviser.
- Check the warning list by the FCA.
- Take a minute—Don’t rush to a decision if someone pressures you. Take a minute to think and speak to someone.
Useful links
- FCA Warning List – www.fca.org.uk/scamsmart/warning-list
- FCA Scam Smart – www.fca.org.uk/scamsmart
- NCSC Gov – www.ncsc.gov.uk
- Age UK – Age UK- Scam information
If you want to report a potential scam, contact the FCA Scam Smart Consumer Helpline on 0800 111 6768 or use the reporting form at https://www.actionfraud.police.uk
If you’ve lost money in a scam, contact Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040.
