Why the number on screen proves nothing
Scammers can change the number that appears on your phone. Ofcom calls this number spoofing: a call can appear to come from your bank, HMRC, a delivery company or a government body when it is really from a criminal. The Take Five to Stop Fraud campaign lists spoofing among the tricks criminals use to make numbers look legitimate.
Knowing your name, address or the last digits of your card does not make a caller genuine either. Ofcom points out that scammers collect personal details from data breaches and public sources.
Call 159, or the number on your card
159 is a short number for exactly this situation: an unexpected call about a financial matter. It connects you safely and directly to your bank. Stop Scams UK, which runs it, says it now covers more than 99% of UK retail bank current accounts and, unlike long numbers, cannot be spoofed or impersonated.
Call prices are set by your phone provider and 159 may not be in your bundle; Ofcom says it often costs the same as a national rate call. Vodafone, for example, charges it from your plan allowance.
If you prefer, hang up and call the number on the back of your card, or use your bank’s app or website. Hang up properly first: Take Five’s advice is to call back on a number you know to be correct, never one the caller gives you.
What a genuine caller will not ask
- Your PIN, passwords, full bank details or National Insurance number. Ofcom says not to give these to anyone who calls you unexpectedly.
- Remote access to your computer or phone. Take Five’s rule is never to let someone who called you out of the blue take control of your device.
- To act right now. Genuine callers give you time; scammers use urgency so you do not think clearly.
- To keep the call secret, even from your bank or your family.
Stories that are always a scam
Take Five’s examples follow the same patterns again and again:
- The “safe account”. Your money is said to be at risk, and you are asked to move it to a safe account. The account belongs to the criminal.
- The police investigation. A caller claiming to be the police asks you to withdraw cash to help an inquiry at your branch, and arranges to collect it.
- The compensation offer. A caller claiming to be your internet provider asks for remote access to fix a problem, then offers compensation for the trouble.
- The relative with a new number. A message from “your son” says he has lost his phone and urgently needs help paying a bill.
If you have already paid or shared details
- Contact your bank or card provider immediately, through the number on your card, its app or website, or 159. It may be able to stop the payment or recover the money.
- Report the scam to Report Fraud, online or on 0300 123 2040. In Scotland, report it to Police Scotland on 101.
- If you clicked a link or installed something during the call, tell your mobile provider, and avoid banking apps on that phone until you know it is safe.