June 17th, 2020 | Andrew Hagger | News

NatWest reveals the top scams fraudsters are committing in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. Purchase scams in which goods are offered for sale but then never actually delivered are on the rise. The number one purchase scam reported in May was for Nintendo Switches, closely followed by pet related scams and hot tub purchases. Additionally, fake TV Licence and HMRC emails continue to scam customers into giving away bank account information.

Social distancing has been used by scammers to carry out a number of pet purchase scams, especially for pedigree dogs. This was the second most reported scam to the bank during May. Fraudsters are using social distancing rules as the reason the dog cannot be seen until the money is transferred. The dog subsequently doesn’t exist and the fraudster becomes uncontactable.

Hot tub scams increased five-fold in May with the warmer weather leading to an increase in the number of purchases.

There was also an increase in TV Licence and HMRC scams. These commonly target customers with emails stating a payment is due and link to a fake site. It is advised these types of emails are always treated with caution and to avoid clicking on any links.

Jason Costain, Head of Fraud Prevention at NatWest said: “Fraudsters are taking advantage of the current situation with more of us shopping online. We’ve seen an increase in customers not receiving the items or pets they have paid for. Customers should try where possible to use a credit or debit card when making a purchase online, purchase from a trusted seller, follow the security advice on the website and avoid making payments directly to an unknown seller. It is also worth remembering that if a deal appears too good to be true, it probably is!”

More information on how to avoid scams is available from www.natwest.co.uk

June 15th, 2020 | Andrew Hagger | News

NatWest is developing behavioural biometrics technology which could replace banking passwords.

Next year, an additional form of authentication will be required for some transactions when Strong Customer Authentication comes into force. However, the technology, which has been customised in partnership with Visa for the purpose of increased transaction security, could replace passwords and helps to make payments more secure.

Strong Customer Authentication is an extra layer of security designed to prevent payment fraud and check that it is the cardholder making the payment.

Behavioural biometrics works by analysing the unique ways a customer interacts with their device when making an online purchase. The technology uses this information to confirm who is making the purchase and does not access or share any private data held on a device.

Working in the background of a transaction, the technology is able to deliver a seamless experience for customers while ensuring a high level of security.

The development represents a major breakthrough in the application of biometric technology, with NatWest the first bank to test the technology specifically for the purpose of SCA compliance.

Georgina Bulkeley, NatWest Director of Strategy and Innovation said: “We continue to explore biometrics and how they can be used to make payments easier and simpler for our customers. The success of a pilot of this new technology demonstrates our ongoing commitment to developing innovative ways of enhancing customer experience while prioritising security.”

Jeni Mundy, Managing Director, UK & Ireland, Visa, said: “Visa is committed to working with its partners to develop innovative technologies that remove friction for cardholders, increase security and satisfy regulatory requirements. Behavioural biometrics has already been deployed successfully for the purpose of fraud prevention, and now, following work between regulators and industry partners including Visa, has been approved as a second layer of security to be used alongside one-time passcodes in the context of Strong Customer Authentication.”

The new behavioural biometric technology follows on from NatWest’s successful pilots of biometric fingerprint technology with debit and credit cards which allowed payments of up to £100 to be verified using a fingerprint instead of PIN. The bank was the first in the UK to pilot the technology and is looking to develop it further this year.

June 9th, 2020 | Andrew Hagger | News

Data from Barclaycard, which sees nearly half of the nation’s credit and debit card transactions, reveals that spending on essential items grew slightly by 0.9 per cent. This was bolstered by a 24.5 per cent rise in supermarket spend – which increased to 27.0 per cent in the week preceding the VE Day weekend as Brits made the most of the sunny bank holiday. The upsurge in supermarket expenditure helped to offset a 49.7 per cent fall in fuel.

Spending on non-essentials decreased by 36.9 per cent year-on-year, with department stores and clothing declining 44.5 per cent and 42.4 per cent respectively. However, this drop was less steep than last month’s, which saw non-essential spend contract by 47.7 per cent, reflecting a slightly more positive outlook for UK retailers ahead of some stores opening on 15 June.

While eating and drinking saw an overall decline of 70.3 per cent year-on-year, there were signs of a recovery as May saw a smaller fall in spending than in April (-79.1 per cent). This coincides with more restaurants, pubs and cafes being able to offer delivery and takeaway services. More than one in ten (14 per cent) Brits are now buying food and drinks from a pub, and 10 per cent are purchasing takeaway coffee.

In an ongoing trend, consumers have remained loyal to local specialist food and drink outlets, such as greengrocers and independent convenience stores, with the category seeing a growth of 42.5 per cent – the highest increase since restrictions were introduced.

While Home Improvement & DIY, a category which includes garden centres, saw a small annual dip of 3.2 per cent, this represented a significant uptick from April which saw a sharp 42.7 drop year-on-year. Encouragingly for these retailers, 27 per cent of Brits are now planning a trip to the garden centre or DIY store, signalling a likely continued upwards trend in spend for this category in the weeks ahead.

Online purchases at specialist retailers – including sports and outdoor outlets – and general retailers was another bright spot this month, rising 96.3 per cent and 85.8 per cent respectively as people bought items to help them exercise and keep fit while gyms remained closed.

While consumer spending is increasing month-on-month across some retail categories, overall confidence in the UK economy remains low – indicating that the road to recovery may be a long one. Just 20 per cent of UK adults feel positive, though those aged 18-34 are noticeably more upbeat than those aged over 35.

More than two thirds of Brits (67 per cent) remain confident in their households, with 37 per cent of those citing having enough savings to support them as a key reason for this positivity.

June 2nd, 2020 | Andrew Hagger | News

Co-op Legal Services has today launched a Bereavement Notification and Advice Service to help people deal with a late loved one’s affairs.

Recognising the demand and unexpected loss people are facing due to the Coronavirus outbreak, the unique service will mean bereaved people can access help informing financial institutions, stopping junk mail and logging off social media.

Across the UK loved ones are left to deal with an average of 12 organisations from registering a death, using the Government’s Tell us Once service, dealing with pension providers, insurers and utility providers and corresponding with the Coroner.

Research conducted by the Co-op showed a quarter (25%) of bereaved people found administering their loved one’s estate stressful, a sixth (15%) found it upsetting and almost a tenth (8%) had to take time off work.

In addition, there’s junk mail to stop and instructions to be sent to banks and building societies to freeze or close accounts to reduce the risk of fraud.

However, each service comes with a unique process, specific information requirements and timeframes, that most people perhaps wouldn’t be aware of unless having gone through the ordeal previously.

The Co-op is hoping to relieve this added pressure on bereaved people across the country, by supporting them through the various processes by providing advice and pre-populated letters.

The service includes guidance on how to log off social media accounts, an increasingly complex process, with the average person now having between five and nine accounts, according to recent research by Co-op.

Caoilionn Hurley, Managing Director of Co-op Legal Services and Life Planning said: “Families struggle with the sheer volume of organisations that need to be told about the death of a loved one and now Co-op can be there to help and support.

“Dealing with a late loved one’s affairs is never easy, but the current situation is making it impossible for people to grieve and come to terms with their loss. As a result, sorting out paperwork and informing banks can feel like an unbearable task. However, it’s crucial that people do take action as soon as possible, to prevent fraud and not prolong the grieving process.

Co-op’s Bereavement Notification and Advice Service: What’s included?

• Help in navigating the legal procedure with social distancing in mind
• Help in notifying organisations that need to know about the death, like banks, building societies and pension providers

• Stopping junk mail being sent to the deceased
• Explaining legal jargon so it’s easier to understand, including navigating potential legal issues and the coroner and inquest process
• Advice on closing social media accounts
• Information on how to access the Government’s Tell us Once service and in regions where it’s not available, providing pre-populated letters to help families notify government institutions such as the DWP and DVLA about the death
• Guidance on social security benefits which may be available following the loss of a loved one.
• Guidance on what to consider when informing utility providers
• Advice on car or property insurance issues to prevent issues with insurance cover
• Explaining how to make sure empty properties are secure
• Assist the family to understand possible carer redundancy entitlements.

To find out more about the service, visit: https://www.co-oplegalservices.co.uk/probate-solicitors/bereavement-notification-service/ or call 0333 060 7182

June 1st, 2020 | Andrew Hagger | News

As Mastercard reveal that 66 per cent of all transactions across the UK are now contactless, new research released identifies consumer habits and viewpoints that mean this is a consumer change that will stand the test of time.

In the UK contactless adoption was already high and Mastercard has recently worked with the industry to enable the limit for contactless payments to increase from £30 to £45 to help people benefit from the fastest and simplest way to pay.

Nearly half (45 per cent) of people in the UK admit their use of cash has decreased throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, with 1 in 5 (22 per cent) no longer using cash at all. Four in 5 (83 per cent) agree Contactless payments are a cleaner way to pay.

43 per cent of people in the UK have used Contactless payments more often since the Covid-19 pandemic, while 1 in 10 (9 per cent) have started to use contactless for the first time as a result of the pandemic.

“The shift to contactless has been accelerating over the past few years in the UK and it is clear that this rate of adoption has increased in recent months as a result of the pandemic and recent raise in the contactless limit. Our technology has always been there to help navigate the change in consumer behaviours and ensure money is kept safe so everyone can have peace of mind about the way they pay,” comments Marcia Clay, Senior Vice President of Market Development, UK at Mastercard.

Three quarters (76 per cent) of Brits say they are very likely to continue using Contactless payments after the pandemic ends, with 66 per cent saying Contactless Payments are now their preferred way to pay when making purchases in-store. A further one in five (21 per cent) say they have changed which cards they use most frequently specifically to use Contactless payments.

The most popular way of paying using contactless technology in the UK is with a debit or credit card (90 per cent), followed by mobile phone (21 per cent) and contactless enabled device such as a Garmin/Fitbit (3 per cent). Grocery stores are the top destination for contactless usage (93 per cent) along with other retail stores (37 per cent) and pharmacies (29 per cent). 61 per cent adopted contactless payments as they thought it was a safer way to pay.

May 26th, 2020 | Andrew Hagger | News

1.5 million workers aged over 50 will delay their retirement as a direct result of the Covid-19 pandemic, according to new research from Legal & General Retail Retirement.* However, the retirement provider has suggested that worried households could benefit from a review of their savings before assuming they will need to delay.

According to the most recent data from the Office for National Statistics, the number of workers aged above 65 years is at a record high of 1.42 million**. However, if people change their retirement plans in response to the pandemic, this could increase. One in six people aged over 50 and in work (15%) believes that they will delay, while 26% anticipate having to keep working on a full or part-time basis indefinitely, due to the impact of the virus.

On average, those who plan to delay their retirement expect to spend an additional three years in work. However, 10% admit they could delay their plans by 5 years or more.

These figures are significantly higher for the 26% of over 50s workers who have been furloughed or seen a pay decrease as a result of the pandemic. One in five of these workers will delay (19%) and 38% expect to work indefinitely.

Chris Knight, CEO of Legal & General Retail Retirement said: “The financial impact of the Covid-19 pandemic seems to be particularly pronounced for people aged over 50 who are still in work. While some people will choose to work for longer, or indefinitely, the key consideration when it comes to this research is that it seems this decision has been driven by the financial impact of the pandemic, rather than personal choice. We know this is a key stage in people’s retirement planning so seeing a material impact on your household income will naturally lead to pessimism about achieving your retirement goals. While it would be naïve to say that these financial issues will not have an impact on people’s ability to retire, it’s important for people to have a strong understanding of the options available to them before concluding that their retirement needs to be delayed or forgotten indefinitely.”

Legal & General Retail Retirement’s top tips for managing retirement planning in the pandemic:

Develop a strong understanding of your total savings: Those who feel like they might be forced to delay their retirement should make sure they’ve gone through the process of getting a comprehensive understanding of their total savings. Many people may have more saved than they anticipate in the form of forgotten pots from previous employment. Using a pot-tracing service to understand your total savings will help you plan better.

Consider the role that different types of products might play: In addition to pension savings, it’s also worth looking at a broad range of retirement products to get a holistic understanding of what you can utilise to fund your retirement. Equity release, for instance, can be a useful tool for people who have significant property wealth that they might benefit from taking advantage of.

Check on what you’re entitled to: There are lots of things being put in place to help people who have financially been impacted by the pandemic. Examine what your entitlements are and make sure you are receiving any relevant benefits, particularly if you have lost your job. Also, many people might want to consider looking at measures their bank has put in place to cover any recent hardship by offering short-term solutions to things such as mortgage payments.

May 26th, 2020 | Andrew Hagger | News

One in ten (10%) UK adults (5.2 million people) have either fallen victim to a financial scam since the Covid-19 pandemic, or knows someone who has, according to new insight from financial services firm Canada Life. The company is warning that people need to be constantly vigilant as fraudsters are preying on the nation’s current financial anxieties and concerns to scam at will.

The most common type of scams people have fallen victim to are banking related ones, with three in five (60%) reporting this type. Insurance scams are also common with 35% of victims citing this as the cause, followed by pension fraud at one in five instances (19%).

The financial cost of being scammed is significant, with victims losing £566 on average per scam. Although one in ten of those who know someone who has been scammed or have been a victim themselves has lost over £1,000.

A worsening situation

When Canada Life asked people in August 2019 if they had been approached by phone, text or email with the offer of a free pensions review (a very clear indication of pension scamming activity), just over one in ten (12%) of non-retirees suggested they had been contacted this way in the preceding three months. This has risen to almost one in five (17%) for those people yet to retire who have received similar contact over the last three months. Of those who have been approached with pensions ‘advice’ in the last three months, 43% are more worried about scams, and 25% feel increasingly vulnerable.

On average Brits have received three suspicious or fraudulent messages since the outbreak. The most common way to contact people is through suspicious email activity (75%), but a third (32%) have received a phone call, and a quarter (24%) have been sent text messages. Retirees said they received significantly more phone calls (at 46% vs 32% for UK adults), despite the ban on pension cold calling being introduced in January 2019.

Nearly one in six (13%) think they’re more vulnerable to scams during the Covid-19 outbreak, and 26% are increasingly concerned about financial scams. A quarter (25%) don’t know how to prevent fraudsters from targeting them; 30% don’t know which services they can use to protect themselves and 30% wouldn’t know who to contact if they were scammed

This comes despite the increased public awareness campaigns on how to spot and avoid scams. Canada Life is warning that people need to be alert to the dangers and has published tips to help the unwary.

Andrew Tully, technical director at Canada Life, said:

“Falling prey to a scam can be devastating, not only for the individual involved but also for their family and friends. The Covid-19 pandemic has provided a fertile opportunity for ‘lowlifes’ to prey on not only the vulnerable but also people who are worried and anxious about both their health and their wealth. With families trying to make ends meet as the economy dips, an offer of money or easy access to your pension early might seem the perfect opportunity to dig yourself out of trouble – at face value. Sadly it’s highly likely it will be scammers, so be aware and follow the simple rule of thumb – if it appears too good to be true, it inevitably is. Simply walk away, hang up, or delete the email or text.

“We all need to be on our guard for any signs of fraudulent activity as scammers continue to evolve and adopt ever more sophisticated and ingenious ways of encouraging people to part with their hard-earned money. Follow our tips to help spot and avoid being a victim of a scam.”

Tips to help avoid financial scams

1. If you receive an offer to help you access your pension savings before age 55. It is only possible to do this in rare situations, for example if you are very ill, so always check with your pension provider before making any decisions.
2. Warnings that the deal is limited and you must act now. This is a pressure tactic, and making any financial decisions should not be done under pressure.
3. HMRC will never contact you by email, phone or text informing you of a tax refund, so simply delete or ignore any contact made this way – HMRC will only contact you via post.
4. You are discouraged from seeking professional financial advice or talking to Pension Wise or The Pensions Advisory Service (TPAS). An adviser would be able to explain the rules and tax implications of different options and help you make the best choices for your personal circumstances, so be very suspicious if this is discouraged.
5. Sign up for Action Fraud Alert, a free service provided by the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau. The service alerts about new types of crime or those which are increasing in their severity. If you sign up you will receive those alerts which are relevant to you. https://www.actionfraud.police.uk/sign-up-for-action-fraud-alert
6. Contact by somebody who is not on the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) Register. The Register is a public record of all the regulated firms and individuals in the financial services industry, including retirement income providers and investment companies https://register.fca.org.uk/
7. A recommendation to take a large amount of money, or your whole pension pot, in a lump sum and invest it elsewhere. Seek professional financial advice, and be very wary of unsolicited offers of ‘amazing investment returns’
8. There can be significant tax implications if you choose to cash in your pension in one go, so check the tax position before you make any decisions. Tax calculators are available online including: https://www.canadalife.co.uk/tools/pension-tax-calculator
9. Check www.fca.org.uk/scamsmart for known scams and use the tools to help identify a potential scam
10. TPAS also has a great section on pension scams on its’ website https://www.pensionsadvisoryservice.org.uk/pension-problems/making-a-complaint/common-concerns/pension-scams

11. Check with your financial adviser, TPAS or your current pension provider if you have any doubts or concerns before you act on any approaches, or call Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or look online at https://www.actionfraud.police.uk/

May 19th, 2020 | Andrew Hagger | News

May 18th, 2020 | Andrew Hagger | News

Yorkshire Building Society has just launched a fixed rate bond in support of the End Youth Homelessness (EYH) Covid-19 appeal, enabling savers to help homeless young people through the coronavirus outbreak.

The one-year End Youth Homelessness Fixed Rate Bond will see savers receive a 0.70% gross p.a/AER* interest rate, fixed until 30 June 2021. The Society will make a one-off donation to the EYH Covid-19 Appeal of 0.10% of all balances held in the bonds after the account has been withdrawn from sale.

EYH is a national movement of local charities working together to end youth homelessness in the UK.

Yorkshire Building Society has been working in partnership with EYH since 2017, to date; the partnership has helped over 431 young people and 92 dependent children into their own rented homes and has raised over £1million.

Yorkshire Building Society’s Chief Executive, Mike Regnier, said: “The impact that coronavirus is having across the country including the charity sector is unparalleled. That’s why we are proud to be helping charities such as End Youth Homelessness that are supporting the ongoing needs of the most vulnerable people in our communities. Through our partnership with End Youth Homelessness we’ve already helped many young people facing homelessness into a home of their own and this new account is a great way for the Society and our members to support the charity through this pandemic.”

Last year, 103,000 young people asked their local authority for help because they were either homeless or at risk of homelessness. EYH charities collectively work with over 30,000 young people who are amongst the most deprived in the country.

Nicholas Connolly, Managing Director for End Youth Homelessness, said: “For many, self-isolation can mean a time of discomfort. But for Britain’s homeless young people, it can mean much worse.

This global pandemic hitting the UK means EYH charities now face extraordinary costs just to keep services staffed and young people healthy. We are desperately concerned that the Covid-19 crisis will prevent our services from running and leave young people unsupported, without food or worse. Meanwhile, our charities expect a significant drop in voluntary income this year.

“That’s why the launch of the End Youth Homelessness Fixed Rate Bond is so important for homeless young people: it will raise vital funds to give even more young people a chance to escape homelessness and secure a safe place to call home.”

For more information or to open a bond please visit www.ybs.co.uk.

To support the End Youth Homelessness Covid-19 Appeal please visit www.eyh.org.uk/en/covid19-appeal .

May 13th, 2020 | Andrew Hagger | News

Over 7.5 million holidaymakers have a summer holiday or other trip booked for later this year and, with Covid-19 travel restrictions still in place, many are worried about their holidays and their money.

Yesterday, Health Secretary Matt Hancock suggested that 2020 was unlikely to have a normal summer holiday season and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) is still advising against all but essential international travel with no indication of when that advice may change. In addition, over 8 million people (15%) have bought tickets for events in the UK, such as festivals, shows and concerts, which have been cancelled.

The new research carried out for GoCompare has also revealed:

• Nearly 14.5 million (27%) people have already had to cancel travel plans due to the coronavirus crisis
• 8% said they have had trouble claiming refunds
• 25% are concerned the lockdown will continue and prevent them going on holiday
• 19% said the coronavirus crisis has made them not want to go abroad this year
• Only 11% of holidaymakers arranged travel insurance when they booked their trip.

Travel companies and airlines flouting the law by failing to issue timely refunds for cancelled holidays and flights are only adding to customers’ worries.

Experts at GoCompare have compiled the latest information for holidaymakers, including what companies should be doing, what customers can do if their holiday provider isn’t adhering to the rules, and the protection offered by Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974 if all else fails.

https://www.gocompare.com/travel-insurance/guide/coronavirus/

The research highlighted three main issues facing holidaymakers at the moment:

Whether to rearrange or take a refund for holidays that have been (or will be) cancelled

If your holiday is cancelled due to travel restrictions brought about by the coronavirus you should be given several options by your travel company.  Bear in mind that they are dealing with unprecedented levels of refund requests and are dealing with the most urgent cases first, so you may have to be patient.

You may be offered a voucher to the value of your cancelled holiday. Beware! A holiday voucher does not carry any financial protection and you could lose your money if the company later fails. Therefore, a Refund Credit Note is preferable.

Whether to keep making payments for a holiday you’re not sure will happen

If your holiday or flight hasn’t been cancelled by the holiday company / airline, you should talk to them about the payments you’re still required to make and find out from them what will happen if travel restrictions are still in place by the time you’re supposed to travel. If you fail to make a payment or you cancel the trip yourself, you may forfeit your deposit and any other payments you’ve made without any possibility of redress from either the holiday company / airline or your travel insurance. You may also be liable to additional costs relating to the holiday.

Options if travel restrictions are lifted, but you don’t want to travel

If you have decided that you don’t want to travel abroad, even when the restrictions have been lifted, you should talk to your holiday provider to see if you can delay your trip to a later date or choose a different holiday. Although they may not have any obligation to do so, they may be sympathetic to your request.  Travel insurers will not consider a cancellation claim where your holiday is available, and you are able to travel but have simply chosen not to.

Holidaymakers unhappy with the response from their travel operator should take the matter up with ABTA if the company is an ABTA member, as they should be covered by the ATOL protection scheme.

Sally Jaques from GoCompare Travel Insurance, commented, “This is a worrying time for millions of people who have travel plans for the summer and no idea if their holiday will go ahead. Holidays may be cancelled due to FCO advice, tour operators and airlines may go bust, some customers may not be able to travel due to illness and self-isolation rules and others may simply not want to go abroad for a while.

“Having the correct travel insurance in place may help those whose plans are affected and who aren’t covered by things such as the ATOL protection scheme, but it’s too late now to buy insurance hoping it will mitigate any of the risks associated with the Covid-19 crisis. This again highlights the importance of buying travel insurance as soon as you book a trip.