Brits can fight scammers using 159 hotline – but not if you use these four major banks

CUSTOMERS are being encouraged to use a new hotline to beat scammers, but it won’t work for users of four major UK banks.

Brits can dial 159 if they think they have received a fraudulent phone call, but not if they bank with HSBC, Nationwide, Monzo or Virgin Money.

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Customers can use the hotline if they receive a phone call from someone claiming to be from their bank.

If you think the caller is trying to trick you into handing over money or personal details, you can hang up and dial 159 to be put through to your bank.

However, it’s still at the trial stage and isn’t available for all banking customers in the UK.

You can use the service if you bank with:

• Barclays
• Lloyds – including Halifax and Bank of Scotland
• NatWest – including Royal Bank of Scotland and Ulster Bank
• Santander
• Starling Bank

These are the phone companies that support the 159 hotline:

• BT, including EE and Plusnet
• Gamma
• O2, including giffgaff
• TalkTalk
• Three
• Virgin Media
• Sky
• Vodafone

What should you do if you think you’re being scammed?

There are other ways of finding out whether you’re being scammed if you can’t or don’t want to use the new hotline.

If you receive an unsolicited email or phone call from what appears to be your bank or building society, there’s a chance it could be fraudulent.

Never give out your your security details, full password, login details or account numbers – banks won’t ask you for this over the phone.

If you are concerned about the source of a call, ask the caller to give you a main switchboard number for you to be routed back to them.

Alternatively, hang up and call your bank back on the legitimate phone number printed on your bank statements or your card.

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This post first appeared on thesun.co.uk