Five tips to protect you

  1. Check any web address matches the address shown in official communications.
  2. Reject unexpected offers from unsolicited text or social media messages.
  3. Check the firm you’re dealing with is FCA authorised.
  4. Don’t be rushed into making a decision – even if it sounds like a great deal.
  5. If someone asks you to confirm personal details, ensure they are who they say they are.

Don’t get caught by a scammer

Scams can come in many forms, but all are designed to get hold of your money, including your retirement savings.

None of us like to think we might be caught out. But scammers are imaginative, and their aim is to:

  • get you to reveal your personal details

  • steal your information, or

  • trick you into handing over the cash.

It’s important to know how to recognise a scam so you can protect yourself, and your money.

Want to know what to look out for? We’ve got a video to help.

With your Citi Pension Plan, there are number of things the Trustees have in place to help protect you from scammers.

  • Neither the Trustees, the administrators or advisors linked to the Plan will call you and ask for your bank details, personal details or your username and password to logon to MyCitiPension.

  • We have an extra layer of security called Two Factor Authentication when it comes to you accessing your personal record with MyCitiPension.

    If you haven’t set this up already, when you login you will be asked to provide and validate your email and mobile phone number. In future when you log in, you will be sent a code to enter as part of the log in process.

    • The Trustees have robust processes in place to make sure your benefits go to the correct place and that it is in line with Plan Rules, legislation, and regulatory requirements.
    • There are also additional checks to assess whether a pension transfer request meets certain conditions to enable a transfer.
    • The additional check will highlight any possible flags that the transfer may be part of a scam arrangement and includes an additional layer of protection for you.

  • Make sure that any financial adviser you consult is registered with the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). You can check the Financial Services Register online at www.fca.org.uk – it’s under the ‘Firms’ tab. Or you can ring the FCA free on 0800 111 6768.

Emergency hotline

Dial 159 and you will be connected to your bank’s fraud department.

This is a quick and easy way to make sure a call is genuine and avoid being scammed.

Is it a scam?

The FCA’s ScamSmart website has a tool to help you check if an investment or pension opportunity is a scam. There’s also lots more information about the latest in scams too.