Retirement Rip-Offs To Avoid

Author and licensed financial adviser PATRICIA HOWARD warns of common traps

- Patricia Howard

Superannuation has revolutionised the way people retire. Some ordinary working Australians enter retirement with more than a million dollars in super savings.

While this should set them up for a long and happy life lived with financial security, sadly it means many will become the victims of rip-off schemes. These can be easily avoided with a little bit of knowledge.

INTERNET DANGER

The most obvious things to look out for are online scams. ASIC estimates Australians lose $30 million to online scams every year and sadly, once your money is lost very little can be done to get it back. Online scams come in many forms, from bogus emails requesting you send money to clear a tax debt or outstanding judgement, to the infamous online love affair scams.

The best advice is just don’t! Don’t send money to an online bank account and never give your bank account details or identification documents like your driver’s licence to anyone without knowing exactly who you’re dealing with.