What is 159? UK Stop Scams safe bank callback

159 is a free UK telephone short code that connects you directly to your bank's fraud team — bypassing any caller-controlled menu and any suspect CLI on your screen. Launched in 2021 by the Stop Scams UK consortium and the major UK banks, 159 is the single most useful safety number to remember if you suspect a fraud call. This guide explains how it works, who is in the scheme, and when to use it.

#What 159 does (and why it exists)

A common UK bank-impersonation scam works like this: scammer calls pretending to be your bank's fraud team, tells you to 'verify' yourself by reading out a one-time code, or to 'move your money to a safe account'. If you get suspicious and try to call your bank back, two things can go wrong:

1. Held line. Some legacy landline calls can be 'held' by the originator — you hear the dial tone, but the line is still connected to the scammer. They put on a fake 'bank operator' voice when you dial.
2. Spoofed callback number. The scammer tells you 'don't trust the screen — call us back on this number' which goes straight back to them.

159 defeats both. It is a national short code, owned by the Stop Scams UK consortium, routed by your network operator directly to your bank's fraud line — independent of any line state or CLI displayed on your phone.

#Which UK banks are in the 159 scheme

Most major UK consumer banks were members at the 2021 launch and remain so in 2026:

• Barclays
• Bank of Scotland
• Co-operative Bank
• First Direct
• Halifax
• HSBC UK
• Lloyds Bank
• Metro Bank
• Monzo
• Nationwide Building Society
• NatWest
• Royal Bank of Scotland
• Santander UK
• Starling Bank
• TSB
• Tide (business)
• Ulster Bank

If your bank isn't in the scheme, 159 will tell you so and direct you to the bank's published fraud line. Membership is verifiable at stopscamsuk.org.uk/159.

#Which networks support 159

Every major UK landline and mobile carrier supports 159, including: BT, EE, O2 (Virgin Media O2), Vodafone, Three, Sky, TalkTalk, Plusnet, and most MVNOs. The call is free regardless of your tariff or remaining inclusive minutes.

#When to use 159

#What happens when you dial 159

1. 1

   You hear a short greeting

   An automated voice confirms you've reached the Stop Scams UK service.

2. 2

   You select your bank from a menu

   Press the digit corresponding to your bank. The menu is a deliberate fixed list — no free-text input, no risk of being deflected to the wrong destination.

3. 3

   You're routed directly to that bank's fraud team

   Straight through, no caller-controlled menu, no IVR for you to navigate, no possibility of being deflected. You're now safely talking to your bank.

#What 159 is not

• Not an emergency number — for that, dial 999 or 112. See UK short codes explained.
• Not a general bank line — 159 is for fraud-suspicion calls only.
• Not for non-bank scams — for courier / HMRC / Amazon scams, report to Action Fraud and forward text scams to 7726.
• Not international — UK only. If you're abroad, use the international fraud number from your bank's website.

#Bottom line

Memorise 159. It is the single most useful UK consumer-safety number after 999. Free from any UK landline or mobile, supported by every major bank, defeats both held-line and spoofed-callback scam patterns. The moment you suspect a bank-impersonation call, hang up and dial 159 — even if you're 95% sure the original call was genuine. There is no cost to being cautious; the cost of being wrong about a scam is your savings.