Consumer Protection

People or groups may attempt to fraudulently access your IPERS account to change your direct deposit, contact information, beneficiaries, etc. When you call IPERS, we will ask you a series of questions to validate your identity and protect the integrity of your account.

Anytime changes are made to your account information (bank information, address, email, beneficiary, etc.), you will receive communication from IPERS confirming the change. If you do not recognize the change, contact IPERS immediately.

When an IPERS member dies, loved ones should contact IPERS as soon as possible so IPERS can discontinue retirement benefit payments to the member and appropriately reassign them to the designated beneficiary(ies).

IPERS encourages you to frequently log in to My Account to review the details of your account. If any information appears incorrect, please contact IPERS. 

IPERS is the ONLY source that can provide confidential details about your retirement benefit.  

Third parties may contact you by phone or email seeking an appointment to discuss your IPERS benefits or asking for personal details about your retirement account. Often, these people represent legitimate, private financial planning businesses. Occasionally, however, these are imposters, falsely claiming to represent IPERS. Be aware of official-looking scam emails that attempt to obtain your personal information by directing you to click to a fraudulent website.  

Note that IPERS may not provide your personal information to any third party unless you complete and submit a form that gives your explicit consent to do so or as required by law. 

These tips can help you determine the authenticity of communication from IPERS.

• IPERS does not solicit personal information like Social Security numbers or bank account information by email, which is not a secure form of communication. 
• IPERS does not typically make outbound calls to members asking for personal details unless you have specifically requested a call from us.  
• IPERS will only call you during business hours, 7:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Central Time, Monday – Friday. 
   

How to safely communicate with IPERS:  

1. Call us at 800-622-3849.
2. Log in to My Account, your IPERS retirement toolkit. My Account is a secure, online self-service tool that allows you to view a history of your letters and documents, view a record of your IPERS contributions, update your designated beneficiaries and more.
3. Visit IPERS’ office to meet privately with an IPERS Retirement Benefits Counselor.  
    

What to do if you receive a suspicious call or email message:

Contact IPERS by phone to inquire about the legitimacy of the communication.  

You may also send a message to IPERS via the contact form on our website. However, you should not use this form to provide personally identifiable information such as your Social Security number, member ID, etc. After you complete the form, an IPERS Retirement Benefits Counselor will contact you. 
 

Other resources for fraud and identity theft: 

Use the following links to learn more about how to prevent identity theft and report suspicious activity and find out what to do if you are a victim.

Federal Trade Commission

Iowa Attorney General

Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3)

Report suspicious e-mail from an Iowa state agency by calling 515-281-4820 or emailing ciso@iowa.gov.

U.S. Postal Service