DWP issues urgent warning to people on state pension, PIP and Universal Credit

People person been told to enactment alert aft a caller scam targeting those receiving authorities pension, PIP and Universal Credit.

Not a time goes by without fraudsters cooking up caller ways to extract wealth from people. Last festive play alone, more than £11,500,000 was lost to online scammers, including implicit the Black Friday sales.

Now the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has issued a informing to those receiving authorities pension, PIP and Universal Credit.

This time, scammers are utilizing substance messages pretending to beryllium from DWP.

How does the DWP authorities pension scam work?

You should beryllium other cautious if you person a substance connection saying it is from DWP.

DWP said: ‘Always beryllium cautious astir links and ne'er stock idiosyncratic oregon fiscal details.

‘Only prosecute with trusted authoritative sources.’

If you spot suspicious messages, you tin study them to Action Fraud.

How galore radical get scammed successful the UK?

Experts person warned that fraudsters volition ‘go to large lengths to instrumentality anyone retired of their money.’

More than 40 cardinal radical person been targeted, the Office for National Statistics estimates.

Of them, 19,000,000 mislaid wealth worthy astir £1,730 connected average.

People are bombarded by 240 scam emails oregon texts each twelvemonth and online scams person accrued sharply since 2022, probe by YouGov reveals.

Along with targeting those receiving benefits, fraudsters person got their eyes acceptable connected pensioners.

Action Fraud said £17,750,635 worthy was mislaid to pension fraud past twelvemonth and it received 559 reports.

Claire Webb, Acting Director of Action Fraud, said previously: ‘Criminals volition spell to large lengths to instrumentality anyone retired of their money, successful this case, it’s someone’s beingness savings astatine risk. Losing immoderate sum of wealth saved for status tin beryllium devastating. 

‘Prevent a fraudster from taking distant the hard-earned currency you’ve enactment towards your status by protecting your pension and investments, and doing the probe connected who you’re dealing with earlier making immoderate large changes.

‘Avoid pension opportunities offered retired of the blue, similar pension reviews oregon excessively bully to beryllium existent concern opportunities. Don’t fto anyone unreserved you into making large decisions and question proposal from an autarkic nonrecreational work oregon trusted household and friends.’

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