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As your Trustee, we’re dedicated to protecting your pension against cyber threat and helping you to do the same.

That’s why we commit to using high standards of security to protect your data, and we hold the external parties we use to support us to the same standards.

This includes our administrator, WTW – they use the latest encryption technology and strong data security procedures to make sure your pension and your personal information stay secure.

We review their processes, controls and systems regularly to ensure they remain at a high standard.

Here are some of the ways you can also protect yourself.

Stay alert and be sure it’s us

You can help protect your data too, by knowing the things that we will never do:

• We will never ask for your bank details over the phone
• We will never ask you for a PIN, other than to reset your password
• We will never put pressure on you to make a decision about your pension
• We will never use social media to contact you about your pension
• We will never call or email you unexpectedly, specifically about your own pension. This excludes emails you regularly receive from the Trustee, with general updates

Stay vigilant and spot the signs

Financial fraud and cybercrime can be sophisticated and hard to detect. Criminals are continually coming up with new ways to tempt you into making mistakes.

When it comes to your pension, be wary of:

• Fake websites that might look genuine – check URLs for misspellings or unusual extensions, check for clear contact information and also look for reviews of the website or company. Also, trust your instincts – if something feels off or too good to be true, it probably is.
• Enticing social media posts
• Unexpected calls and emails
• Guarantees of high investment returns
• Discussing innovative or unusual methods to access to your pension funds early

Stay secure and keep safe

Here are some other simple things you can do to help protect yourself online:

• Use strong, unique passwords to access your financial information online – these should be a combination of random words, numbers, letters and special characters. If you can’t memorise it, make sure you store it securely.
• Always access your financial information from a secure and trusted location, such as your personal computer at home. Avoid using public Wi-Fi or shared devices, as these can expose your financial accounts to scammers.
• Don’t click on anything that appears suspicious – delete it immediately and/or report it as potential fraud. You can report it to the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) or Action Fraud, by visiting their websites or calling them directly.

We will only ever ask for your personal details over the phone or by email, when we take you through necessary security checks. If you are in any doubt about the authenticity of the caller, then hang up, ring them back using a different phone and dial a known, reputable number.

Stay up to date and know where to go

For more information, top tips and online support about protecting your finances, visit:

• The Financial Conduct Authority’s ScamSmart website
• The scams area of the MoneyHelper website

We’re here to help. To contact the administrator, WTW:

Email: GEpensions@willistowerswatson.com

Phone: 01737 227 566 (9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday)

Post: GE Pensions, Sunderland, SR43 4JU