In recent days, false information about the alleged urgent indexation of pensions has been actively spreading on social networks, in particular on Telegram channels of dubious reputation. The messages state that in order to receive an increase in pension payments, pensioners must fill out a special questionnaire. More details about the fact that there will be no indexation of pensions on January 15, are reported by the PFU.
The Pension Fund emphasizes that such statements are not only false, but also pose a serious threat to gullible citizens.
What is really happening?
- Manipulative messages are designed to arouse trust in people who are probably not sufficiently familiar with the procedure for calculating pensions.
- Criminals urge pensioners to follow special links where they offer to “register” to receive indexation. In most cases, this leads to phishing actions:
Theft of personal data. The questionnaires that are offered to be filled out often require entering personal data, including passport or bank details.
Subscription to fraudulent resources. After clicking on the link, users can be forced to subscribe to paid or dangerous channels.
Why is this manipulation?
According to the legislation of Ukraine, pension indexation is an automatic procedure that does not require any additional actions from pensioners.
According to Part Two of Article 42 of the Law of Ukraine “On Mandatory State Pension Insurance”, pension indexation is carried out centrally.
The Pension Fund independently transfers payments based on the conditions approved by the government. No questionnaires, applications or registration in online channels are required for this.
How to recognize fraud?
To avoid fraudulent schemes, you should pay attention to the following signs:
- A call for urgent action. Messages that call for “immediately fill out the questionnaire”, “make it to a certain date” or “confirm the right to payment” always raise doubts.
- Suspicious links. Attackers use phishing sites that may outwardly resemble official resources, but have atypical domains.
- Unreliable sources. Information coming from unknown channels or profiles on social networks cannot be considered reliable without verification.
Official position on pension indexation
Pension indexation in Ukraine occurs within clearly defined deadlines, in accordance with the legislation. The Pension Fund independently informs citizens about changes in the amount of payments through official sources:
- Pension Fund of Ukraine website;
- official pages on social networks;
- publications in state and verified media.
What to do if you receive a suspicious message?
- Do not follow the link. Even if the message seems true, avoid clicking on the link.
- Do not provide personal data. Passport data, card numbers or identification codes should not be transferred to third parties.
- Check the information. Contact official sources to confirm the authenticity of the message received.
- Warn your loved ones. Inform elderly relatives or acquaintances about possible fraudulent schemes.
