Waspi women targeted in fake compensation scam

Women Against State Pension Inequality (Waspi) women are being urged to watch out for a convincing compensation scam, as fraudsters try to steal their personal information.

The campaign group has warned of an “alarming” spike in websites which falsely claim the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) has awarded compensation to Waspi women.

Some women have submitted personal data to these fraudulent sites, believing them to be genuine. A woman in Derbyshire reported being asked to provide copies of her birth certificate and bank details through an online form, before she realised it was a scam.

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Angela Madden, chair of Waspi, told MoneyWeek: “Waspi has fielded dozens of queries from women following an alarming spike in fraudulent websites appearing in recent days.

“Waspi women across the country are looking online daily, hoping to hear that this injustice is finally resolved and compensation will be delivered, and being met with scammers instead. These fraudsters prey on vulnerability and hope, it’s utterly shameful.”

Any announcement on compensation will only ever come from the government, Madden warned as she urged women to stay vigilant and avoid sharing personal details.

If you’ve shared sensitive information or feel you are at risk, then you should contact Action Fraud.

Waspi is campaigning for compensation for women born in the 1950s who were affected by changes to the state pension age for women. They argue they did not receive enough notice about the changes, which caused some women to unknowingly retire before they were legally entitled to the state pension.

Last year, the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) found failings in the way the DWP communicated changes to the women's state pension age, and said compensation should be paid to affected women. However, the government did not have to accept the recommendation and subsequently said a compensation scheme could not be justified. A High Court challenge is currently in progress.

One such fraudulent website falsely claimed that the DWP would pay £3,000 in compensation to 3.8 million Waspi women despite there being no government announcement that this would be the case.

Some Waspi women have been targeted by email scams which try to steal personal information by suggesting that they are eligible for compensation.

Another scam hijacked the reputation of financial journalist Martin Lewis, founder of Money Saving Expert. Fraudsters have launched a fake “Martin Lewis WASPI calculator” with the aim of gathering the personal information.

Lewis said the word “scammers” underplays the danger of “what are often organised criminal gangs using psychologically adept tactics to steal from people”.

He added: “They leach on to anything they can find, and compensation over the change in state pension age seems to be a new trend.

“Even if they’re not asking for money, they could be trying to take your information as part of a wider fraud. Be incredibly careful, don’t click advertising or other links on social media, unless it is from a validated trusted source.”

He further stated that he doesn’t “do adverts” nor allows anyone to use his name for endorsements.

“All my information will always be on my site MoneySavingExpert.com so if you can’t find it there, and see it elsewhere, it’s very likely a scam,” he added.

In the first six months of 2024 alone, more than £56 million was stolen by scammers.

Recently, a fake AI-generated video impersonating Dragons Den’s Steven Bartlett emerged on social media, as fraudsters attempted to garner personal information from unsuspecting fans.

Fran McSweeney, Head of Services at Independent Age urged people to take care not to rush into sharing personal details “out of the blue”. She added: “Contact your bank if you think you’ve been tricked into revealing any of your banking details. If what you’re told sounds unlikely or too good to be true, it probably is.”

She also encouraged people to look out for bad spelling or grammar in communication.

Independent Age has a Scamwise guide which can be accessed online. Alternatively, call the free helpline on 0800 319 6789 to request a copy.