If you think someone is trying to trick you into handing over money or personal details…stop, hang up and call 159 to speak directly to your bank.
Last year criminal gangs stole over £470m by pretending to be a bank or other service provider. 159 is a pilot scheme to collect evidence to show that calling 159 helps fight fraud.
What is 159?
159 is the memorable, secure number that connects you directly to your bank if you think you’re being scammed. It works in the same way as 101 for the police or 111 for the NHS. It’s the number you can trust to get you through to your bank, every time – 159 will never call you and only a fraudster will object to you calling 159.
Call 159 if:
- Someone contacts you saying they’re from your bank – even if they’re not suspicious
- You receive a call asking you to transfer money or make a payment – even if it seems genuine
- You receive a call about a financial matter and it seems suspicious
Who’s behind 159?
159 has been set up by banks and telephone companies who want to fight fraud. It’s a pilot scheme at the moment. The following banks are part of it:
- Barclays
- Lloyds (including Halifax and Bank of Scotland)
- NatWest (including Royal Bank of Scotland and Ulster Bank)
- Santander
- Starling Bank
That covers over 70% of UK primary current account holders. We want more banks to join us, and we hope they will over the course of the pilot.
Almost all major consumer telephone companies are participating, and almost all UK mobiles and landlines are able to use 159. Calling 159 will cost the same as a national rate call, which are part of the included minutes in most mobile phone tariffs.
If 159 doesn’t work for any reason, you should contact your bank in the normal way, using the number on your bank card.
For more information, please visit https://stopscamsuk.org.uk.