Who are Stop Scams UK?
Fraud is the most common crime in the UK, with one in 15 people falling victim. Fraud figures from the banking industry group UK Finance show that criminals stole £1.2 billion last year, equivalent to £2,300 every minute.
Stop Scams UK is a membership organisation which brings together responsible businesses from three sectors most affected by scams - banking, technology and telecoms, forming a united front to prevent people from being scammed.
The body works with many of the biggest banks in the United Kingdom, including HSBC, Barclays, NatWest, Santander, The Co-operative bank, Metro Bank and Lloyds Banking Group. Its members also include tech giants Google and Meta, and telecoms firms including BT and Three.
Stop Scams UK is supporting 麻豆官网首页入口 Morning Live’s Be Scam Safe campaign, which aims to help viewers fight back against fraudsters.
Hester Abrams is Communications & New Business Manager for Stop Scams UK. She told the 麻豆官网首页入口: “We are in the middle of a scams emergency. They cause harm and distress to consumers, undermine trust in businesses, and are all too prevalent. They are run by organised and agile criminals, and collaboration between different sectors is absolutely vital to close the gaps that scammers can exploit.”
What is 159?
159 is a free phone service from Stop Scams UK which connects customers safely and securely with their bank, if they receive an unexpected or suspicious call about a financial matter.
If someone calls you telling you they are from your bank, or asking for your financial or security details, you can call 159 to check if the contact was legitimate.
Around 400,000 calls have been made to 159 since it was launched two years ago - around 17,000 a month. Hester Abrams from Stop Scams UK said it proves that the service is much needed: “If you ever get a call that might be a scam, the first thing you want to do is check. 159 is a route back to safety. It connects you securely and safely with your bank when you are most at risk of being scammed. It is a simple, memorable number that cannot be spoofed. You will never get 159 calling you.”
159: How it works...
If someone calls you claiming to be from your bank, or asking for personal financial information, here is what you can do:
- Don’t be rushed into doing anything. Stop the conversation. Don’t carry on talking to the person on the other end but hang up. Just by putting the phone down, you could be stopping a potential scam.
- Hang up, then wait a few seconds. Then call 159.
- You will hear a menu of 16 bank brands. Choose yours and you will be taken straight through to your bank. They will ask you the usual security questions and make sure your call is directed to the best department to help you.
- You can check with them if what you heard is true: for instance, a scammer pretending to be from the fraud department of your bank might tell you they have seen some unusual transactions on your account.
- Your bank will update you and give you some tips as to what to do next time, to avoid being scammed and keep yourself safe.
- The bank brands you can reach on 159 are: Barclays, Bank of Scotland, The Co-Operative Bank, First Direct, Halifax, HSBC, Lloyds, Metro Bank, Nationwide Building Society, NatWest, Royal Bank of Scotland, Santander, Starling Bank, Tide, TSB and Ulster Bank.
Hester from Stop Scams UK said: “Scams can happen to anyone. Don’t be embarrassed to end a call if something doesn’t seem right. Do call 159 and double check with your bank. Even if the call was genuine, your bank will be happy for you to do this.”
You can find more information on Stop Scams UK and the 159 service
