Whether you've just been contacted out of the blue about your pension, want to double-check an adviser before committing to anything, or are worried about a transfer you've already made, this section is built to be used in exactly the order that suits your situation. Start with the guides below if you're building general awareness, jump straight to the checklist if you need a fast answer right now, or head to our dedicated sub-sections if you need to understand a specific type of scam, verify a firm, or find out what to do after being scammed.
Every page in this section follows the same principles: clear, concrete, plain-English guidance; genuinely useful contacts including Action Fraud, MoneyHelper, and the FCA (the Financial Conduct Authority, the UK's financial regulator) register; and a calm, judgement-free tone throughout, because building trust and protecting readers matters more here than almost anywhere else on this site.
Two facts are worth keeping in mind wherever you start. Cold calling about pensions has been illegal in the UK since January 2019, so any unsolicited call about your pension is against the law, regardless of how professional it sounds. And accessing your pension before age 55 (rising to 57 from 2028) outside a genuine ill-health exception can trigger a tax charge of around 55% of the amount withdrawn, on top of losing whatever was invested — one of the most financially damaging outcomes a pension scam can cause. Both points come up throughout this section, because both are central to recognising and avoiding the most common and most costly pension scams operating in the UK today.