How can I trust them?

suzannethefoot

I recently recieved a letter telling me that my sister and I will receive the capital that my brother had been paying into a pension before he died suddenly. They asked me to send proof of identity, including a selfie, and my bank account details. I was not happy to do both, so asked them to send me a cheque. I have yet to hear back from them, but was I right to do this? And, can they insist of paying by bank transfer? I do not want to send all the details which could lead to identity fraud to a company I had never heard  of before. 

xylophone

They may not issue any kind of payment without proof of identity.

dunstonh

 I was not happy to do both, so asked them to send me a cheque. I have yet to hear back from them, but was I right to do this?

Right or wrong has nothing to do with it.   However, if they are willing to pay by cheque then it will likely delay issue.  So, its your choice.

And, can they insist of paying by bank transfer?

yes

 I do not want to send all the details which could lead to identity fraud to a company I had never heard  of before. 

Who is the pension company?

It is good to be on guard for fraud.  However, they are also on guard for it too.  Hence why they ask for details.   

Marcon

suzannethefoot said:

I recently recieved a letter telling me that my sister and I will receive the capital that my brother had been paying into a pension before he died suddenly. They asked me to send proof of identity, including a selfie, and my bank account details. I was not happy to do both, so asked them to send me a cheque. I have yet to hear back from them, but was I right to do this? And, can they insist of paying by bank transfer? I do not want to send all the details which could lead to identity fraud to a company I had never heard  of before. 

They can certainly ask for proof of ID, but why they think a selfie is going to prove anything (unless they already know you or have your picture on file, which seems unlikely in the extreme) is beyond me. It is far more usual to ask for a certified copy of a passport or similar. Have they asked for that as well, with the selfie to back it up?

You were entirely right to be wary, but unless you provide the details they require, you quite simply won't be paid. What's the pension provider called? If it's a recognised big name, people here will be able to reassure you and point you towards a way of checking they are who they claim to be.

83705628

They wouldn't be asking if they didn't need it. Check out the company's website and see if they're FCA authorised first though.

Marcon

tcallaghan93 said:

They wouldn't be asking if they didn't need it. Check out the company's website and see if they're FCA authorised first though.

They won't necessarily be FCA authorised - depends who has contacted OP. It could be the scheme administrators, who are not necessarily performing a regulated function, so won't be on the FCA register.

83705628

Marcon said:

tcallaghan93 said:

They wouldn't be asking if they didn't need it. Check out the company's website and see if they're FCA authorised first though.

They won't necessarily be FCA authorised - depends who has contacted OP. It could be the scheme administrators, who are not necessarily performing a regulated function, so won't be on the FCA register.

/
Ah good point... How does the OP find out of they're legit though?
could you tell us the name of the company who has contacted you? Maybe someone's heard of them or might know if they're ok to deal with?

AnotherJoe

The selfie requirement is strange. My daughters came into a inheritance recently from a pension and had to provide a recent (3 months or less) bank statement In just their name (not a joint acct), national insurance number but nothing  else I recall, not even a passport Or driving licence scan let alone a selfie. 

Though actually a selfie would make you less vulnerable to fraud than a passport scan. 

If you don't like the selfie then push back and ask why it's needed but sometimes these companies can be very inflexible. How would they even know it was you? 

My condolences on your brothers death. 

Marcon

tcallaghan93 said:

Marcon said:

tcallaghan93 said:

They wouldn't be asking if they didn't need it. Check out the company's website and see if they're FCA authorised first though.

They won't necessarily be FCA authorised - depends who has contacted OP. It could be the scheme administrators, who are not necessarily performing a regulated function, so won't be on the FCA register.

/
Ah good point... How does the OP find out of they're legit though?
could you tell us the name of the company who has contacted you? Maybe someone's heard of them or might know if they're ok to deal with?

If it's one of the big admin firms, plenty of people here will have heard of them and know the format of the e-mail address/postal address so OP can check those.

xylophone

I recently recieved a letter telling me that my sister and I will receive the capital that my brother had been paying into a pension before he died suddenly. 

Has your sister received a similar letter and request for identification? 

AnotherJoe

that's that's a good point, on the face of it, a letter to OP stating that someone else is also getting money is a reach of privacy. Possibly unsurprising if they think a selfie is any use, since they have no way of knowing who that picture is of.