Martin Lewis shares 3-figure reminder to anyone with UK bank | Personal Finance | Finance
People who bank with major chains such as Barclays, Nationwide and HSBC, as well as digital banks such as Monzo and Chase, should save this number on their phones to “protect” themselves from serious trouble. Martin Lewis urged people to remember these three numbers.
There are millions of scams every year in the UK, where criminals scam people out of their hard-earned money. It only takes a few seconds to become a victim, but having it can give Brits peace of mind that they are no longer targets.
Speaking in the Instagram clip, Martin Lewis said there are three numbers you need to remember to protect yourself. He said: “If you call 1-5-9 from your phone, you will be connected to a switchboard. It will ask which bank you want to talk to.
“If you say this, you will be directed to your bank’s legitimate number. Spread the word because there are two reasons why this protects you.”
First of all, a real person working for a banking brand will have no problem hanging up and calling you back through this service for peace of mind. If they protest you doing this, the suspicions must be further raised.
However, Martin claims there are cases where scammers can ‘spoof’ and appear real, even if you have called them yourself.
He said: “If you dial 1-5-9 and they say ‘Hello, this is Martin’s bank’ you know it’s wrong because you need to be connected to the switchboard. Protect yourself and remember 1-5-9.”
Stop Scams UK and Global Cyber Alliance launched a 159 call service across the UK in 2021. This service is designed to enable consumers to communicate with their banks securely.
Which banks can I reach using 159?
Dialing 159 in the UK is a safe and secure way to connect with your real banking provider. When you dial the number, an automated voice menu will ask you to select or specify the name of your financial provider.
The service then securely redirects you to the specific provider’s internal fraud prevention department. The teams behind the service may only contact some, but the majority of providers are covered, such as:
