Martin Lewis reveals phone number everyone with a bank account should know

Although most of us are able to avoid scammers, they can be difficult to detect and you might accidentally answer a call from one.

If this happens, Money Saving Expert Martin Lewis has shared what everyone in this situation should do straight away.

A little-known piece of advice which Mr Lewis has shared on X, formerly known as Twitter, is to remember the number 159.

Anyone who has received a suspicious call, or believes they have just answered a call from a scammer, should ring their bank immediately.

But if you can’t remember your bank’s phone number you can just dial 159 and it’ll put you through.

Mr Lewis said: ‘Phone number to remember: 159.

‘If you need call your bank urgently (e.g. it’s just called you, and you’ve hung up as it may be a scam) and can’t remember its number, just call 159 and it’ll put you through.

Calling this number will help people tell if they have received a scam call or not.

The money guru added if you believe you’ve been a victim of a scam call you should use a different line to call the bank or wait for at least an hour, in case the scammers are spoofing a dial tone.

Answering questions in the comments, Mr Lewis said the number is completely free to call.

He added this piece of advice has been around for a while – so he’s just sharing it as a reminder in case people don’t know about it.

With scams becoming more and more likely all the time, Mr Lewis is sharing this advice so people can brush up on their knowledge.

Ofcom reported in 2021, more than 45 million people were targeted by scam calls and texts in just three months.

In a statement, Stop Scams UK said: ‘159 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 safely and securely, every time.

‘So 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.

‘This breaks the scam “journey” at the critical moment when you are at most risk of being manipulated into making a payment.

‘So, even if scammers can make contact with you, that link will be broken by your call to 159, before any information is shared, any payment is made, and any harm is done.’

A number of the main banks operating in the UK already use the 159 dialling code, including Barclays, HSBC, Lloyds, Metro Bank, NatWest, Santander and Starling Bank.

The full list of banks that currently use it is on the Stop Scams UK website.

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