# Pensions Review Centre - Legit or Cold Calling Scam Merchant?



## Puddy_Tat (Dec 2, 2013)

Call on my mobile earlier from a Leeds number, caller asked for me by name, and identified himself as from 'Pensions Review Service' (corrected on second mention to 'Pensions Review Centre')

Since I've recently left a job and have an outstanding query about my last employer's pension, I started off thinking this was legitimate.

Caller tried to emphasise / hint that it's government funded / approved / established service to review past pensions, to see about re-claiming excessive fees.  Caller referred a couple of times to Financial Services Authority, again once later corrected to (now) Financial Conduct Authority.

The longer the call went on, the more alarms started - particularly when he said the next step would be for someone to come round and see some personal identity.  I said I wasn't prepared to hand over identity documents to someone I'd never heard of.  I asked how he'd got my name and number, he was not able to give a straight answer.  I said I need to think it over and would get back to them.

I can't find a website for 'Pensions Review Centre' - there is a 'National Pensions Review Centre' (who may or may not be the same organisation) who seem to have reasonable looking presence on Twitter and Facebook but no website - which does not match how a legitimate business would run...

Anyone know anything about this?

is it legit?  Or a 'reclaim your PPI fees and we'll pocket most of the compensation' sort of thing?  Or an outright scam?


----------



## Treacle Toes (Dec 2, 2013)

Ask them to put everything in writing. Usually gets rid of them if they are scammers.


----------



## FridgeMagnet (Dec 2, 2013)

No legitimate company cold-calls you on your mobile and won't tell you how they got the number.


----------



## Puddy_Tat (Dec 2, 2013)

Rutita1 said:


> Ask them to put everything in writing. Usually gets rid of them if they are scammers.



Well, yes.  When he started about someone coming round, I said "wouldn't this be done by post?" and he fluffed.



FridgeMagnet said:


> No legitimate company cold-calls you on your mobile and won't tell you how they got the number.



Indeed.

Since this looks more like a scam, possibly one for harvesting personal data / ID fraud, how do I flamethrower them?  I've logged a TPS complaint but that doesn't ask for detail...


----------



## 8115 (Dec 2, 2013)

Sounds scammy.  They've just hit gold in the fact that you do in fact have a query, either that or some organisation that shouldn't have done have sold them your details.


----------



## StoneRoad (Dec 2, 2013)

Sounds like a scam to me.


----------



## Puddy_Tat (Dec 2, 2013)

8115 said:


> Sounds scammy.  They've just hit gold in the fact that you do in fact have a query, either that or some organisation that shouldn't have done have sold them your details.



in hindsight, I don't think they knew a lot about what pension/s I've had in the past, the only thing I'm sure they knew was my name and mobile number, which there's probably quite a few ways of getting.

TPS complaint logged - who the heck do you report (probable) scams to these days?  the caring tories seem to have closed 'consumer direct' down...


----------



## 8115 (Dec 3, 2013)

Puddy_Tat said:


> in hindsight, I don't think they knew a lot about what pension/s I've had in the past, the only thing I'm sure they knew was my name and mobile number, which there's probably quite a few ways of getting.
> 
> TPS complaint logged - who the heck do you report (probable) scams to these days?  the caring tories seem to have closed 'consumer direct' down...


If it's a text, forward it to SCAM or STOP or something (can't remember). Include the number who sent it to you.

Sorry, that's not much help.


----------



## Puddy_Tat (Mar 10, 2014)

Another call from these twunts today.  Today via what appeared to be a Bedford phone number.

Asked how they had got my details, and they hung up on me.

Another TPS complaint logged...


----------



## sim667 (Mar 11, 2014)

Have you got the numbers?

Reverse look them up.


----------



## cesare (Mar 11, 2014)

It's possible to do with the latest way of exploiters trying to get money off you. "Pension Liberation". HMRC have come up with a handy guide to the implications and pitfalls: http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/pensionschemes/liberation.htm#3


----------



## Puddy_Tat (Mar 11, 2014)

sim667 said:


> Have you got the numbers?
> 
> Reverse look them up.



Unless there's some way of 'reverse looking up' that I'm not aware of, all I can find is a few forums that people can report spam phone calls on, and it seems I'm not alone.

I can not find a website for "Pensions Review Centre" (which is no way to run a legit business) - I can find one or two similar who may or may not be them.


----------



## sim667 (Mar 11, 2014)

Yeah you can reverse lookup phone numbers iirc.


----------



## Puddy_Tat (Mar 11, 2014)

sim667 said:


> Yeah you can reverse lookup phone numbers iirc.



how / where?  I'm aware of things like "who calls me" - and sounds like i'm not alone.

But is there something official you can look phone numbers up on?


----------



## sim667 (Mar 11, 2014)

Isn't there still a white pages? There used to be?


----------



## Puddy_Tat (Mar 11, 2014)

sim667 said:


> Isn't there still a white pages? There used to be?





> Reverse Phone Lookup allows users to find the identity of someone by searching with just a telephone number. Whitepages used to offer this service but has been discontinued for privacy reasons. The assumption is that if you want to know the owner of a telephone number, you can just call that number and ask.



here


----------



## joechump (Mar 12, 2014)

Scammers just contacted me too. Their number was 0845 286 0343. Started talking to me about my pension that I have supposedly been paying into. I don't have one.


----------



## lee henry (Mar 31, 2014)

I also received a phone call like the one you had, I was interested but with it being a details over the phone call I was put off by the whole thing. A couple of days later I decided to look for a company to do it myself.
I come across A Class Options, I submitted my contact information on their website and they called me back within the hour. I have since then had my review and found out a few things I didn’t know about. If anyone is interested in a review I advise you do the same as me and look for someone to do it, rather than have a company cold call you as you never know who you may be speaking to.
I would recommend the company I went with for the simple fact I didn’t pay a penny and they done just as they said they would.

(Editor: spammy looking URL removed)


----------



## TopCat (Apr 1, 2014)

Just give them an address and say you would love to see their advisor but you can only do 9pm as otherwise you are at work.


----------



## TopCat (Apr 1, 2014)

lee henry said:


> I also received a phone call like the one you had, I was interested but with it being a details over the phone call I was put off by the whole thing. A couple of days later I decided to look for a company to do it myself.
> I come across A Class Options, I submitted my contact information on their website and they called me back within the hour. I have since then had my review and found out a few things I didn’t know about. If anyone is interested in a review I advise you do the same as me and look for someone to do it, rather than have a company cold call you as you never know who you may be speaking to.
> I would recommend the company I went with for the simple fact I didn’t pay a penny and they done just as they said they would.
> 
> (Editor: spammy looking URL removed)


Smells like a fish, looks like a fish, scales, yep, it's a fish.


----------



## unkle22 (Dec 9, 2014)

This pension review centre is in cyprus, my mate was working formit for a few days, nothing but a rented room with 4 computers 4 desks 4 chairs and a router, run by a time share bandit, he turned up one morning only to find they had done a runner.........yes totaly a scam, not even properly trained, dodgy as fook


----------



## John Allder (Jun 30, 2015)

My Name is John - I AM a financial adviser (http://www.fsa.gov.uk/register/indivSearchForm.do - John Allder (please note - FCA havent changed this yet but link is from their website!!  -my FCA reg number JPA00138)) - Just has same numbers call and try it on - Cold calling is illegal for pensions! - hense why this company calls "on behalf of IFA" so they can worm around loopholes! - had him trying to argue that its not - so he slammed phone down on me!

dont trust then - go to FCA register if you want advice (more than happy to help if you need though)

BBC recently put out this article: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-32756605

please be aware - and let others know


----------



## Pingu (Jun 30, 2015)




----------



## equationgirl (Jun 30, 2015)

Pingu said:


>


Ah but at least he's posted useful facts as to why it's a scam and illegal to boot.

Unlike some of other necromancy we have recently witnessed.


----------



## Tomoliart (Oct 28, 2015)

Just been called again today by these "people," I didnt want to tell them what pensions I had and the woman making the call said "why would you not want to review your pension and see that it is doing its best for you"?  Well for starters I'm at work, I dont have my details with me so wouldn't even begin to be able to tell you anything about my pensions even if I wanted to.  They have called me from several numbers 01413250145, 01254658838 and also withheld numbers.  I also think this to be a scam because they just ring you out of the blue asking you loads of questions, I dont know who Im talking to, they could be anybody trying to get my details!!


----------



## john pendreich (Aug 25, 2016)

Puddy_Tat said:


> Call on my mobile earlier from a Leeds number, caller asked for me by name, and identified himself as from 'Pensions Review Service' (corrected on second mention to 'Pensions Review Centre')
> 
> Since I've recently left a job and have an outstanding query about my last employer's pension, I started off thinking this was legitimate.
> 
> ...


----------



## john pendreich (Aug 25, 2016)

scam scam scam 0333 numbers? block them - they are crooks


----------

