Aegon - a bit lax with personal data ?

CaptainSkeptical

Hi - financial organisations constantly remind us to be very careful with our personal data to avoid identity theft and scams.  And rightly so. 

I've got a pension with Aegon and in connection with a transaction I requested, they sent me a form via normal Royal Mail for me to complete and return.  When I opened up the letter I was concerned to find the form quoted my full name, account number, date of birth, National Insurance number, and home address, i.e. a lot of personal data that an identify thief would relish getting their hands on.  Royal Mail are losing a record number of letters and there is a risk that a letter like this could have gone missing in transit and found its way into the hands of a crook.

I lodged a complaint and asked why Aegon thought this was an acceptable way to send such personal data, should they not use a secure online communication system like other financial institutions, or if they couldn't do that, should the form they sent me not just include my name and address and account number and omit my date of birth and NI number. 

And today, approx 2 months later, they replied that they had followed their internal processes so weren't doing anything about it.  The irony is they sent me that brush off reply via secure messaging. It's good to see they have their data security priorities correct    

ashcottgill

I have a question regarding Aegon. I can see they are a genuine company, howver out of the blue I got a letter from them saying I had a pension with them even though I took what I thought was my full pension back in 2020. I have been in correspondence with them and they appear genuine if a bit slow to reply and now have a gorm from them regarding claiming a lump sum - this form has their old logo on it.

What is concerning is the amount of evidence I have to provide to claim my lump sum - passport or driving license, but also a hard copy (produced in branch and stamped by the bank) of a recent bank statement. This then needs be certified (solicitor doctor accountant teacher etc.).

is this reasonable  - it does feel like a possible scam for identity theft. anyone had anything similar? I have tried internet searches for identity theft without anything coming up for Aegon.

Albermarle

ashcottgill said:

I have a question regarding Aegon. I can see they are a genuine company, howver out of the blue I got a letter from them saying I had a pension with them even though I took what I thought was my full pension back in 2020. I have been in correspondence with them and they appear genuine if a bit slow to reply and now have a gorm from them regarding claiming a lump sum - this form has their old logo on it.

What is concerning is the amount of evidence I have to provide to claim my lump sum - passport or driving license, but also a hard copy (produced in branch and stamped by the bank) of a recent bank statement. This then needs be certified (solicitor doctor accountant teacher etc.).

is this reasonable  - it does feel like a possible scam for identity theft. anyone had anything similar? I have tried internet searches for identity theft without anything coming up for Aegon.

Probably better to repost this in the Pensions forum, and supply any details of the correspondence about the missing pension and anything you can remember about it.

For sure pension providers do chase up old clients with forgotten about pensions, so probably not a scam. 

Murphybear

Albermarle said:

ashcottgill said:

I have a question regarding Aegon. I can see they are a genuine company, howver out of the blue I got a letter from them saying I had a pension with them even though I took what I thought was my full pension back in 2020. I have been in correspondence with them and they appear genuine if a bit slow to reply and now have a gorm from them regarding claiming a lump sum - this form has their old logo on it.

What is concerning is the amount of evidence I have to provide to claim my lump sum - passport or driving license, but also a hard copy (produced in branch and stamped by the bank) of a recent bank statement. This then needs be certified (solicitor doctor accountant teacher etc.).

is this reasonable  - it does feel like a possible scam for identity theft. anyone had anything similar? I have tried internet searches for identity theft without anything coming up for Aegon.

Probably better to repost this in the Pensions forum, and supply any details of the correspondence about the missing pension and anything you can remember about it.

For sure pension providers do chase up old clients with forgotten about pensions, so probably not a scam. 

I got contacted by them a few years ago out of the blue about a small pension.  It was genuine and I now get £800 once a year.  Very useful for taxing, MOTing and insuring my car plus a bit of petrol  😺

Ectophile

I completely fail to see what Aegon have done wrong.  Financial institutions have sent things to me through the post for many years.  They may even be required to send you things in written form unless you have authorised them not to.