The inspiration for Scam Man & Robbin'
In November 2019, PensionBee organised a Pension Scams Hackathon to create a concept for an online game that increases awareness of pension scams, which in 2018 cost British savers roughly £4 billion.
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The event saw cross-company teams from the UK’s most ambitious digital pension platforms combine their skills and develop a game to educate consumers about pension scams, and how to protect against them.
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The winning concept, Scam Man & Robbin’, was chosen for its retro-design, the concept of “shining a light on scams” and choosing a vigilante as the protagonist, rather than a scammer or victim.
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The Hackathon was inspired by “Scams and Ladders”, an investment scams board game, created by Emily Rosenorn-Lanng and Dr Sally Lee of Bournemouth University’s National Centre for Post Qualifying Social Work and Professional Practice (NCPQSW), led by Professor Keith Brown.
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In April 2020, a coronavirus-related scam was added to the game in response to the 400% spike in reported coronavirus-related fraud in March.
The team behind Scam Man & Robbin'
PensionBee is the UK’s leading online pension provider, utilising the latest technology to make pensions simple. Customers can manage their pension like they manage their bank account: combining old pensions, topping up flexibly and forecasting their retirement income in a few clicks from their smartphone.
PensionBee is passionate about tackling the online problem of pension scams, and is confident progress can be made when the sector works together. Scam Man & Robbin’ is proof that when the UK’s leading digital pension platforms join forces and collaborate for the good of the consumer, great things can happen.
...and a special thanks to...
Everyone who took part in the Pension Scams Hackathon, which was the catalyst for Scam Man & Robbin’. We’d also like to thank Barclays Eagle Lab for hosting us, and our esteemed judges on the day: Margaret Snowdon OBE (President of the Pensions Administration Standards Association), Michelle Cracknell (Non-Executive Director at PensionBee and former CEO of the The Pensions Advisory Service (TPAS), and Stephanie Baxter (former Deputy Personal Finance Editor at the Telegraph). Lastly, special thanks to Professor Keith Brown, Emily Rosenorn-Lanng and Dr Sally Lee of Bournemouth University’s National Centre for Post Qualifying Social Work and Professional Practice (NCPQSW).