People who bank with any major chain like Barclays, Nationwide, and HSBC – as well as digital banks like Monzo and Chase – should have this number saved on their phone to “protect” themselves from a serious issue. Martin Lewis urged people to remember these three numbers.
Millions of fraud cases occur every year in the UK, where criminals con people out of their hard-earned cash. It only takes a split-second to become a victim, but having this can safely give Brits peace of mind that they are no longer a target.
Speaking in an Instagram clip, Martin Lewis said there are three numbers you need to remember to protect yourself. He said: “If you dial 1-5-9 on your phone, you’ll be put through to a switchboard. It’ll ask you which bank you want to talk to.
“You tell it, and you will be put through to your bank’s legitimate number. Do spread the word because there are two reasons this protects you.”
First, a genuine person who works for a banking brand will have no problem with you hanging up and calling back through this service for peace of mind. It should raise suspicions even more if they protest about you doing this.
But, Martin claims there are cases where scammers can ‘spoof the line’ and appear genuine, even if you called them yourself.
He said: “If you dial 1-5-9 and they say ‘Hello, it’s Martin’s bank’, you know it’s wrong because you should be put through to the switchboard. Protect yourself and remember 1-5-9.”
Stop Scams UK and Global Cyber Alliance launched the UK-wide 159 call service in 2021. It was designed to ensure consumers have a safe way to contact their banks.
What banks can I reach using 159?
Calling 159 in the UK is a way to safely and securely connect with your genuine banking provider. When you dial the number, an automated voice menu will ask you to select or state the name of your financial provider.
The service then securely routes you to the specific provider’s internal fraud-prevention department. Only some are eligible to be contacted by the teams behind the service, but the majority of providers are covered, such as: