More than a million calls have been made to an anti-scam service that gives people a memorable number to contact if they suspect they may be dealing with a fraudster.
The 159 service was launched in September 2021 by industry body Stop Scams UK and connects people directly with their bank. The service is connected to 21 brands, including Virgin Money, Bank of Scotland, Barclays, Chase, Danske Bank, First Direct, Halifax, HSBC, Lloyds, Metro Bank, Modulr, Monzo, Nationwide Building Society, NatWest, Revolut, Royal Bank of Scotland, Santander, Starling, the Co-operative Bank, Tide, TSB, and Ulster Bank.
Ruth Evans, chairwoman of Stop Scams UK says: “When we launched 159 in September 2021, our goal was to provide an easily memorable way for people to protect themselves from scammers. By reaching one million calls, and with over 1,600 individuals using the service every day, it shows just how vital 159 has become in helping protect the public from criminals. Remember: If you receive an unexpected or suspicious call about your finances, stop, hang up, and call 159.”
Martin Lewis, founder of MoneySavingExpert.com is a popular trusted figure who is regularly impersonated by fraudsters looking to dupe victims. He says: "The 159 number is a no-brainer, remember it - the diagonal top left to bottom right on your keypad - then, if you need to call your bank, you can safely dial that and you know it’s legit.
“Even if your bank calls you, and asks for details, just ask the person calling what department they’re in, then politely put the phone down and dial back via 159 to be sure.”
Stop Scams UK has been working with member organisations across the banking, telecomm and social media sector to pilot intelligence sharing services on fraud data.
Vim Maru, CEO of Barclays UK, comments: “At Barclays, the protection of our customers’ money and data is our highest priority, and we firmly believe that collaboration is our best strategy to win the fight against fraud, which is still the most common crime that this country faces. As a founding member of Stop Scams UK, we welcome the opportunity to work together with the technology and telecommunications sectors, regulators, government, and law enforcement to combat fraud.”