Helping to keep you, your data and your money safe
We take the security of client sensitive information very seriously and will also do everything possible to help you protect yourself against scams and hacks.
We’ve shared 3 simple tips below to help improve your online and email security and keep your information safe.
1. If you receive an email which appears to be from us, or your financial services provider, asking you to provide or change your bank details, your PIN number, change any of your financial arrangements, make a new investment or transfer any money, DO NOT respond. Please call us or your financial services provider immediately, as this is highly likely to be an attempt to defraud you.
2. Fraudsters often clone an email address, or alter it slightly to make it seem genuine (such as name@hoyls.co.uk rather than name@hoyl.co.uk). Always check the address of any email carefully, especially if you’re being asked to take any of the actions we’ve mentioned above.
3. Avoid using public WiFi networks, such as those available at airports, rail networks, coffee shops, hotels and pubs, as security vulnerabilities mean these potentially carry an increased risk of your email account being hacked.
We’ll continue doing everything possible to make sure our IT security remains strong, reducing the risk of cyber attacks and protecting against unauthorised exploitation of systems, networks and technologies. However, it’s also important we all keep a close lookout for any suspicious activity.
3 tips to help you avoid investment and pension scams
Unfortunately investment and pension scams are increasing in the UK. Recent pension freedoms have made investments a target for fraudsters, who use a convincing range of methods, including authentic looking websites, to part investors from their money.
These kinds of scams are becoming harder to identify, and make it possible for a lifetime’s savings to be lost in moments. Once you’ve transferred your pension it’s too late, and many victims have lost their entire pension savings.
We recommend you follow the simple rules below to help you avoid being caught out by any such scams.
1. Always reject any unsolicited calls, emails, text messages or visitors to your door.
No legitimate company should ever call, write or contact you out of the blue - unless they have a genuine reason to do so.
We’d still recommend you follow the additional steps below, to ensure you thoroughly research any company who may contact you, before deciding what action to take next, if any.
2. Check the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) register of regulated companies at https://register.fca.org.uk/s/ to ensure the Company’s regulated and authorised (our FCA number is 433927- check us out while you’re there).
We’d still recommend you follow the additional steps below, to ensure you thoroughly research any company who may contact you, before deciding what action to take next, if any.
Also check the Financial Conduct Authority ScamSmart campaign at - https://www.fca.org.uk/scamsmart
Here you’ll find a tool to help you check an investment or pension opportunity you may have been offered - and report anything you find suspicious.
3. Use independent service directories such as VouchedFor or Unbiased.com.
They invite clients to rate and review financial advisers, verify the identity of all reviewers, never remove or edit negative reviews and check every adviser is authorised by the appropriate governing body, verifying key details such as their fees and qualifications.
We’re a well-established, award winning firm, with a strong belief in ethical conduct who only offer bespoke financial solutions which work for our clients.
Please use the link on our homepage to visit VouchedFor.co.uk and read some of the 700+ reviews from our clients.
Some of our clients sought our advice having unfortunately already been the victims of scams like those we’ve mentioned, or having received advice from another firm which was later found to be incorrect or inadequate.
This has given us valuable experience of the issues caused by failures in the industry, so we’re ideally placed to help clients understand their options and get them back on track, making sure they have a plan which helps them meet their retirement goals and objectives.
If you’ve already signed something which you now feel unsure about, then please contact your pension provider straight away. They may be able to stop a transfer that hasn’t yet taken place.
Please get in touch with us, either by calling us on 01263 510782 or by email, at reply@hoyl.co.uk if you’re concerned about anything we’ve mentioned.
We’ll always be pleased to help you.