A new service has been developed and is currently being piloted by a range of banks and telephone companies across the UK in order to combat the increasing levels of fraud in the UK.
The service, which includes the likes of Barclays, Lloyds (inc. Halifax and Bank of Scotland), Natwest (incl. Royal Bank of Scotland and Ulster Bank) as well as Santander and Starling Bank, allows people to contact their participating bank directly if they think they are being scammed.
It works very much in the same way as 101 does with the police and 111 for the NHS – it ensures that you are protected against possible fraudsters attempting to gain access to personal information or financial information such as bank details.
When should you call 159?
Call 159 if:
- Someone contacts you saying they’re from your bank – even if they are 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
Remember, 159 will never call you.
As always, if you believe that you have been a victim of crime, including fraud, please report this to Hampshire Constabulary via its website or by calling 101. If a crime is in progress, please dial 999 immediately.
If the the government stopped companies from buying and selling people’s phone numbers, most of the nuisance and scam calls would disappear.