POLICE have informed residents of a new pilot scheme where people that feel they might be being scammed over the phone can dial a number to speak directly to their bank.

The new phone line, 159, was first launched as a pilot on Thursday, September 30, after it was revealed that, last year, more than £470 million was stolen by fraudsters and scammers pretending to be banks or service providers.

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A spokesman for Stop Scams UK said: "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.

"Last year criminal gangs stole over £470m by pretending to be your bank or other service provider. 159 is the memorable, secure number that connects you directly to your bank if you think you’re being scammed.

"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, every time. 159 will never call you.

"Only a fraudster will object to you calling 159."

When should I 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, and/or you receive a call about a financial matter, and it seems suspicious.

Remember, 159 will never call you. But you can rely on 159 to get you through to your bank.

Who is behind 159?

The 159 phone number, which currently remains as a pilot scheme, has been set up by a collective of banks and telephone companies who want to fight fraud. The list of banks involved include Barclays, Lloyds (including Halifax and Bank of Scotland), NatWest (including Royal Bank of Scotland and Ulster Bank), Santander, and Starling Bank.

This covers more than 70 per cent of UK primary current account holders. They want more banks to join, and hope they will over the course of the pilot.

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Will it definitely work on my telephone?

Almost all major consumer telephone companies are participating, and more than 80 per cent of UK mobiles and landlines will be able to use 159 at the outset, with plans to grow this reach to 100 per cent during the pilot.

The telephone companies involved are BT, including EE and Plusnet, Gamma, O2, including giffgaff, TalkTalk, Three, Virgin Media, and Sky.

What happens if 159 doesn’t work, for any reason?

You should contact your bank in the normal way, using the number on your bank card.

How much does it cost to call 159?

Calling 159 will cost the same as a national rate call, usually part of the included minutes in most phone tariffs.

What’s the idea behind the 159 pilot?

159 is a pilot scheme – the idea is to collect evidence to show that calling 159 helps fight fraud. Organisers are currently seeking to make 159 a universal number – available on all phones and for all banks.

Visit https://stopscamsuk.org.uk/159 for more information.