Pensions being paid into bank accopunt scam

[maclarencat]

I just thought I would let everyone on here know about a scam that has happened to my Aunt and Uncle.
My aunt is 92 and blind my Uncle is 92 and deaf (It does make for some interesting conversations ha ha ) However the other day the phone rang and my aunt answered it. someone began the conversation with " This is the pensions office . You get your pension paid at the post office at the moment" My Aunt said yes " In future all pesions are to be paid into yourbankaccount so I need to take your details please " Oh right said my aunt and bless her she proceeded to give this person her bank card details along with the securitry number (Please remember she is 92) Fortunately she speaks to my Mum (her sister ) everyday and as Mum was at my house I was there when she told her what had happened and wasnt it awful that you had to have it paid into your bank.
By the time I was able to contact her bank they had already taken £400 from the account.
Please tell anyone you know who gets their pension in cash at the post office that this is happening and it is a scam.
Pensions have no intention of stopping payment at the post office and if they did they would not be ringing people up for their account details
My Aunt is lucky in that the bank have been very good and refunded the money.
I would hate for this to happen to anyone else

[maclarencat]

Whoops . Bad finger work. I have no idea what an accopunt is. That should be account!

[craft1948]

There's some bloody scum about..............

[maclarencat]

I couldnt agree more.

[woofgang]

Thats dreadful. If everyone who is vulnerable could just do one thing it would help so much to shut this stuff down. All they have to do is say "I don't deal with anything on the telephone, you have my address, please write to me" The "you have my address" thing is important, they should NEVER give the address.

[dzug2]

<Pensions have no intention of stopping payment at the post office >

Unfortunately yes they have - and have been known to ring people to persuade them to have it paid into a bank account.

http://www.guardian.c...giros-at-off-licences

[maclarencat]

Thats a good point Woofgang. I did tell her to say to people send me a letter but never thought to add but dont give them your address. I will tell her.
I love to visit them . He cant hear anything Im saying so you get very random comments from him in the middle of a conversation with my Aunt which always make me smile. Last week I was talking about the merits of different soap powders with my Aunt when randomly he interupted and said " Last time I was in Rome we were marching past the colluseum and we didnt know the were drowning the Mayor in the Tiber at the same time for being a collaborator! "my Aunt spends her time saying is there anyone else in the room before telling you things that you really dont want to know! I love them bith to bits though

[maclarencat]

My apologies dzug . I was only repeating what my local post office told me. I dont see how they could ring people up though as where would they get the phone number from? I think I would still stress not to give your details to anyone cold calling you.

[dzug2]

These days they take your phone number when you apply for your pension - may not always have been the case though.

And yes I fully agree with not giving out details to cold callers.

[mike11111]

Correspondence by letter is a dying art these days, but is certainly the best way of strangling these scams at birth.

[chrissa1]

As I read this, my mind was saying "Oh No". That's awful for them both.

[gingejbee]

...and "well done" to her bank for doing the decent thing.

[boxtops]

That's a dreadful story, but thankfully a happy ending with a decent bank.

[maclarencat]

Yes I was very happy with the banks response