The following blog was written by Stephen Sefton: a Blackmore Global Victim who cares about pension scams. Stephen was scammed by David Vilka of Square Mile International Financial Services around six or seven years ago. Vilka, who had neither qualifications nor a license to provide pension or investment advice, arranged the transfer of Mr. Sefton’s […]
Blackmore Global pension scam victim who cares Read More »
Fighting pension scams needs to be done logically and methodically. Decent advisers need to use high standards to help fight scams. If these standards become the norm, the scammers won’t survive and flourish so easily. Fighting pension scams – Qualifications Most qualified advisers want nothing to do with pension scams. Many offshore firms employ advisers
Fighting pension scams – Qualifications Read More »
Fighting pension scams: Regulation If it was easy to stop pension scams, everyone would be doing it. Clearing up the mess left behind a pension scam is a huge challenge. This is why clear international standards need to be recognised and adopted. The scammers are like flocks of vultures. If people only used regulated firms,
Fighting pension scams: Regulation Read More »
Blackmore Bond – yet another reason why only regulated advisers should be used for investment advice. The clear link between the recently-failed LCF Bond and Blackmore Bond through Surge Group remind us how important regulated investment advisers are. In the news again is the troubled Blackmore Group. This time we read that they have ‘temporarily’
Blackmore Bond – yet another failed investment? Read More »
HOW DO PENSION SCAMS WORK? Every pension scam starts with a negligent transfer. Ceding providers hand over millions of pounds to pension scammers every year. Firms – from Aviva to Zurich – ignore warnings by regulators and HMRC. The providers tick their boxes; the scammers make their millions; the victims are ruined. The ceding providers
Transferring pensions to scammers – the ABC of shame Read More »
The recent PSIG (Pension Scams Industry Group) Scams Survey Pilot 2018 has identified seven “key” findings in their survey. As scam watchers, we are well aware of these points and are, of course, glad they have been highlighted. PSIG’s key finding are set out below. So let us admit one key fact: ALL PENSION SCAMS START WITH A
Time for all pension providers to wake up and stop pension scams Read More »
The sophistication of investment scams has reached new levels in Singapore LeeSeongWee I “borrowed” this blog from my Twitter friend in Singapore who clearly understands and cares about investment scams – and the inability of the inept authorities to do anything about them. This is true not just in Singapore but throughout the world –
Sophisticated Scams in Singapore Read More »
BREXIT is the question on everybody’s lips at the moment. BREXIT: will we? won´t we? deal? no deal? So many unanswered questions and so much scaremongering. We would like to offer some helpful words and hopefully protect you from making rash decisions. This could help you to safeguard your pension. Many scammers are trying to cash
Expats and Brexit – Safeguard your pension Read More »
As 2018 draws to a close, a recap is in order to review the year’s progress in the war against pension scammers. Let us not forget – in the immortal words of the Pensions Regulator’s Lesley Titcombe: “scammers are criminals“. However, the sad truth is that most of them have not been prosecuted or jailed.
Scammers are criminals. So why aren’t they in jail? Read More »
International Adviser really can’t make up its mind whether it is organising a piss-up in a brewery, a news roundup carefully slewed in favour sponsors Old Mutual International, or a marketing machine. I read with interest the recent IA Industry Most Influential Top 100 described by IA thus: “we at International Adviser decided to shine a light
International Adviser – Have I Got News For You! Read More »
Integrated Capabilities – a Trust Company based in Malta have created their own Pension Scheme – Azure Pensions. On the face of it, however, the management team do not appear to have learned anything from their previous experience with Optimus Retirement Benefit Scheme No.1 and their association with David Vilka of Square Mile International Financial. It
AZURE PENSIONS – a reputation built on lack of trust Read More »
Tackling Caravan Crime – Chancellor Philip Hammond. Victims of pension fraud in scams such as Ark, Capita Oak, Westminster, London Quantum, Friendly Pensions and Salmon Enterprises – will not be surprised to hear that even the Crown Prosecution Service acknowledges that the fraudsters have defeated the system. Alison Saunders, head of the CPS, has stated publicly
Tackling Caravan Crime – Chancellor Philip Hammond Read More »
