Scam storyline in EastEnders will warn savers, TPR hopes
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The Pensions Regulator has highlighted a storyline used in the popular soap EastEnders. TPR hopes it will send a warning signal to savers and is calling on the industry to step up in protecting them.
The episode aired on Thursday night revealed that EastEnders character Jean Slater had been scammed after transferring her pension savings, facing the devastating financial loss in the coming episodes. The story is part of BBC’s Scam Safe week across TV, radio and online. The broadcaster said the EastEnders storyline "will raise awareness of how scammers use plausible narratives to convince people to part with personal information and money".
The episode aired on Thursday night revealed that EastEnders character Jean Slater had been scammed after transferring her pension savings, facing the devastating financial loss in the coming episodes. The story is part of BBC’s Scam Safe week across TV, radio and online. The broadcaster said the EastEnders storyline "will raise awareness of how scammers use plausible narratives to convince people to part with personal information and money".
TPR, alongside Stop_Scams_UK, and independent adviser, Nick Stapleton, helped scriptwriters and researchers by sharing insights into the latest tactics used by scammers and the financial and emotional toll on victims.
The regulator’s executive director of regulatory compliance, Gaucho Rasmussen, commended the BBC for tackling the issue in a storyline.
"By bringing Jean’s experience to prime-time television, millions of viewers will become more aware of pension scams, potentially empowering them to recognise and resist similar approaches from fraudsters," he said.
Rasmussen urged the pensions industry to report scams and suspicions of scams to Action Fraud.
“It is our hope that viewers of the EastEnders’ storyline will be prompted to report any suspicious activity to Action Fraud too. Every report counts, helping to enhance our national intelligence picture.”
TPR recently launched a scam prevention campaign publishing videos of a nurse who lost her entire £45,000 pension savings to fraudsters, being one of 245 victims in a £13.5m prosecution case brought by the regulator.
