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    I don't disagree ... but "utterly, utterly stupid" is neither kind nor helpful, for someone who's just seen half their life savings go up in smoke Commented Jun 23, 2025 at 7:05
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    @gnasher729 And help people who read this before doing something similar. It really needs that second sentence. Commented Jun 23, 2025 at 10:42
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    I don't understand the point of bringing up a theoretical scam, given the lack of evidence of OP having handed his money over to anyone. Commented Jun 23, 2025 at 22:23
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    @KarlKnechtel OP may not have, but these answers stand as a resource for others searching similar topics. And "emptying savings/retirement in an abrupt and unusual way" is a critical feature in many scams, so it's prudent to at least raise a warning flag. Commented Jun 24, 2025 at 15:11
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    @KarlKnechtel Why would you empty your pension fund? Mine is supposed to last me for the next 20-25 years. Who would tell you that you don't lose a massive amount of money by withdrawing the contents of your pension fund? There is no logical explanation other than a scammer who wants as much as possible of your money. The risk is not theoretical. It's not even an uncommon scam. It's a bit more rare than your usual scams, but that is because the sum of money involved is so much bigger. In this case over £300,000, withdrawn by someone who has been running his own business for years. Commented Jun 25, 2025 at 11:40