Скачать или смотреть NEW ONLINE FRAUD WARNING: One wrong click could wipe-out your ENTIRE LIFE SAVINGS

Criminals have been impersonating legitimate companies such as Halifax and Vanguard Asset Management to target people with savings to invest or with access to their pension – and they are raking in £500,000-a-day from victims.So-called clone fraud investigations have almost doubled in the past year, and pensioners are especially at risk, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) said.The body, the City’s chief watchdog, has said some victims have lost out on hundreds of thousands of pounds. Official figures sourced by The Times show that nearly £200million has been stolen by “investment fraudsters” in the last year.
Related articles
Cheaper mobile phone tariffs - Five minute guide
Martin Lewis: Money Expert reveals the best credit card
The paper reports that the figure is thought to grossly underestimate the seriousness of the problem, citing the fact many victims will be too embarrassed to report the crime.Some victims have been tricked out of more than £250,000.The FCA has looked into 157 attempts of fraudsters imitating companies over the past year – a huge rise from the 90 attempts recorded in 2015.Each cloned company is thought to have been likely to have targeted thousands of savers.
The gangs typically cold-call investors to promote property, shares or other non-existent opportunities.The scale of the problem is likely to fuel further calls for a ban on pensioner cold-calling.Con artists have been targeting elderly savers ever since pensions freedoms introduced in 2015 allowed anyone over 55 to gain early access to their retirement pots.The oldest reported victim of investment fraud is 98, while the average age is 61, according to City of London police.
Ministers vowed last week to ban pension cold-calling so that if an old person is called they know it is a fraudster.It has not been made clear how the law would be rolled out.The FCA says that clone fraudsters use the name, address and registration number of established businesses.They then give their own phone number, address and website details to victims.
The website details will often link to a copy of the actual company’s page.Subtle changes will have been made, such as an altered phone number.The cruel fraudsters have even faked the watchdog’s website to include their own contact details rather those of a genuine company.Last year a con-artist pretended to be a top fund manager at JO Hambro Capital Management, and went on to persuade a victim to invest £100,000.
The unnamed victim, told they were investing in Barclays bonds, never saw his cash again.The FCA is said to issuing a warning on its website every other day about a cloned firm.The watchdog said clone fraudsters are tough to tackle because they operate from outside the UK.Their British addresses are said to be fake and the bank accounts they use are usually based abroad.
The FCA has also warned about a pension review scam.Investors are phoned out of the blue and are offered a free pension review designed to encourage them to move money into high-risk or fake investment schemes.FCA spokesman Tim Matthews said: “Fraudsters use sophisticated methods to get hold of your cash — this can include cloning a legitimate firm. If you’re buying a financial product such as a loan, insurance, investment or pension, only deal with an FCA-authorised firm.”
How can you protect yourself?If you are uncertain about a firm that has contacted you, be sure to check the FCA’s online registers.The authority says the investor should sued the details on the register to contact the firm, rather than information provide by the person who has phoned you.The FCA added that you should only access their register from its website, and not through links provided by anyone else.You can call the body on 0800 111 6768.
Related articles
Firms warn savers against raiding their pensions for quick cash
Savings boost as Bank of England reveals interest rates could rise
Central heating: Why turning up your heating WON’T warm you up quicker