What to do if you receive a scam call
Scam calls are on the rise. Fraudsters are getting ever more creative in the scams they create and the methods they use to part you and your business from your hard-earned money.
In 2023 alone, criminals stole £1.17 billion through fraud. Authorised Push Payment (APP) fraud accounted for nearly £460 million of that, where people are tricked into making payments to scammers. While only 16% of these cases originated through scam calls, they account for an incredible 43% of the amount stolen.
That’s why it’s so important to know what to do if you receive a scam call.
Stop. Hang up. Call 159.
Stop Scams UK is an industry-led collaboration of banking, telecoms and technology businesses who’ve come together to help stop scams.
As part of our partnership with Stop Scams UK, we’re now part of the Dial 159 initiative. 159 gives you a quick, direct route to safety if you think you’ve had a suspicious phone call about your finances.
Dial 159 connects customers of UK’s retail bank current accounts safely and directly with their bank. Since its launch in September 2021, more than 700,000 potential scam victims have called 159 to speak to their bank. That now includes Zempler Bank too.
How does 159 work?
Calling 159 works in the same way as calling 101 for the police or 111 for the NHS. Because it’s not a long number, it can’t be spoofed or impersonated. With just three numbers, it’s easy to remember and means you don’t have to search for your bank’s number to call.
- If you get a phone call and think someone’s trying to trick you into handing over your money or personal details, stop and hang up.
- Dial 159 and ask to be connected to Zempler Bank.
- You’ll be connected safely and securely to one of our UK customer service team who can help right away.
Talking to Zempler
Remember, we’ll never call, email or text to ask for:
- Your PIN
- Your account number
- Your 16-digit card number or security code on the back of your card
- Your Online Banking username or password
- Any verification code from your Online Banking or Zempler Bank app
- Your SMS one-time password
If you get a call from someone claiming to be from Zempler Bank asking for any of this information, end the phone call and contact us or dial 159.
And we’ll never ask you to:
- Transfer money into another account
- Go to another website other than the Zempler Bank website
- Call any other number than those that are on our contact us page
- Download any software to gain remote access – this is an increasingly common scam where fraudsters will try to trick you into giving them access to your device and accounts