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Find out more about us22nd April 2020
Every year thousands of people lose millions of pounds due to investment scams. The internet and advances in digital communications mean these kinds of scams are becoming more common and harder to identify. Thankfully there are some warning signs you can use to avoid falling victim to scammers.
Investment scams aim to get unsuspecting people to hand over money. On the face of it, they can seem perfectly legitimate, appearing knowledgeable with websites, testimonials and marketing material. The most infamous kind of investment scam is a Ponzi Scheme, where money is collected from new investors to pay previous investors. Eventually the money owed is greater than the money being collected and the scheme collapses, leaving all the investors out of pocket.
Today, due to the internet and digital communications, investment scams can be much more complex. Some of these scams are so convincing, even professional investors have fallen victim to them.
Since the pensions freedoms were introduced in April 2015, older people are particularly vulnerable to investment scams because they can access cash lump sums from pension pots. All investment scams have one thing in common. They claim to be able to offer high levels of return for very little risk.
Make sure you are aware of the warning signs that might indicate an investment opportunity is a scam:
To avoid being caught out by a scam, make sure you follow these simple rules:
If you are thinking about an investment opportunity, seek professional financial advice from an FCA regulated firm.
If you think you’ve been targeted by an investment scam, report it to the FCA Scam Smart website. If you have lost money to a suspected investment fraud, you should report it to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040.
Beware of being targeted in the future, particularly if you’ve lost money to a scam.Fraudulent companies might take advantage of this and offer to help you get some or all of your money back.
It’s important to us that you get to know who is looking out for your financial future. Meet our team and discover our experience and see why we are perfectly placed to provide you financial advice.
Find out more about us