Money Saving Expert (MSE), the consumer finance website founded by Martin Lewis, is urging UK banking customers to memorise a straightforward three-digit code to help protect their hard-earned cash from scammers.
What to do if you receive a suspicious bank call
In a post on X, formerly Twitter, MSE outlined what people should do if they 'receive a call from your bank that you think doesn't feel quite right'. The alert continues: 'Hang up immediately and dial 159. You'll then be connected directly to your actual bank, which should be able to advise whether the call you received was genuine or not!'
If you receive a call from someone purporting to represent your bank but have doubts about its authenticity, you can dial this number to be put through directly to the legitimate bank. Additional information available on the MSE website clarifies that while this is a useful tool, it may not prevent 'sophisticated scammers' from making contact.
Martin Lewis warns of sophisticated scammers
Mr Lewis warned: 'This does not guarantee you safety, because sophisticated scammers can spoof a dialling tone so you think you're calling your bank - but the scammer provides a ringtone and an answer.'
He added: 'To be totally safe, dial 159 on another phone, or you could call a friend's phone first and if they answer Hello Barclays you know there's a problem. Or you can just wait 20 minutes and try 159 on the same phone.'
When to dial 159
Members of the public are being advised to dial 159 should anyone contact them claiming to represent their bank – even if the caller does not appear suspicious. According to MoneySavingExpert, you should also ring 159 if you are approached by someone purporting to be a figure of authority (such as a police officer) and instructed to transfer funds – even if the request appears legitimate, or if you receive a call regarding a financial matter that seems suspicious.
