Equity release scams

Stay a step ahead of the criminals.

Scammers are almost always trying to steal your money. And they’re getting better at fooling even the most careful people into sharing their private information.

We take a look at equity release scams - and how you can avoid them.

Equity release

What's the scam?

Scammers use different ways to steal your identity with real-looking ads on Google, social media, by posing as comparison sites and by the use of false 'equity release calculators'.

Homeowners looking for equity release are the target. The scammers know they have financial assets and also that they need extra money.

How does it work?

Online forms are used to steal homeowners' personal information.

This is sold on to unscrupulous marketing agencies that may not be Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) regulated.

These agencies bombard homeowners with high-pressure sales calls and high-risk investments.

How do I protect myself?

Check all names and contact details against the Financial Conduct Authority's Register to make sure you’re dealing with a regulated business.

Spotting threats

Robocalls

A robocall is a call that delivers pre-recorded messages through auto-dialing software.

What to do if I receive a robocall?

Never speak. Hang up immediately
Never say the word 'yes'
Don't follow the instructions or press any numbers.

Blocking a robocall

Landlines: Talk to your phone provider for details
Mobile phones: Both IOS (Apple) & Android allow you to block calls.

Misleading domain names

Scammers register domain names that look official but are fake. They do this by:

misspelling a letter in the web address
or by creating a fake website, that sounds like it's official but isn’t

Unless it is a web domain you recognise and know to be safe, don’t open it. Better still, search online for the correct website.

If our web address isn’t:

Then it’s not us. Make sure you check the spelling of all web links very carefully.

Phishing, vishing, smishing and financial scams

Find out the different ways scammers try to steal your personal information, passwords and banking details.

Phishing

Is that email from us? Is that our website?

Vishing

Is it L&G who is phoning you? Is it really us who left you a voicemail?

Smishing

Is that phone text from us?

Report a scam

Something phishy going on?

If you’ve seen, read or heard anything from L&G that you think may be fake or a scam, you can report it to the FCA or us

More help & support

Be ready, be wary

Find out how to protect yourself from scammers.

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