A MAJOR crackdown on nuisance calls about pensions has come into effect but Vale residents are still being urged to be on their guard.
Pershore’s MP Harriett Baldwin has welcomed a Government ban on cold-calling which targets people with large pensions savings. The move means companies making illegal calls can now be find fined up to £500,000.
Cold-calling has been used by fraudsters trying to steal life savings or persuade people to invest in high-risk schemes and some 10.9 million unsolicited pension calls and messages are made a year, according to Citizens Advice.
Fraudsters are targeting people with sizeable pensions pots and stealing sums averaging nearly £100,000, leaving them with greatly-reduced incomes.
Speaking after the ban was unveiled, Mrs Baldwin urged people who receive such calls to report them to the Information Commissioner’s Office.
“Cold calling is a nuisance for most of us, but this recent trend, for fraudsters to cheat pensioners out of their hard-earned savings, is disgraceful,” she said.
“This latest ban is an important step forward in combating this crime and I encourage anyone who has had a suspicious call to report it directly to the Information Commissioner.
“If you need pensions advice, it is always best to talk to a properly-regulated adviser.
“If someone cold-calls you offering you a deal that seems too good to be true, then it probably is,” she added.
Call the Information Commissioner’s Office on 0303 123 1113 or visit www.ico.org.uk to report a cold call.
