If you’ve used Google or Yahoo recently to search for the customer service number of a bank, business or even hospital, you can’t fall to notice the proliferation of websites using premium rate phone numbers to charge you for this simple piece of information.

The Industry watchdog, PhonepayPlus , has warned that scammers are displaying these premium rate customer service numbers prominently in Google’s advertising space, when consumers search for common phrases such as “British airways telephone number”.

This information is available elsewhere on the internet for free, but the eye-catching ads mean some unwitting consumers are dialling the number before they have considered the reliability of the source of the information. The numbers displayed often cost up £1.53 per minute from a BT landline, and with users unaware of the cost until their bill arrives, they are often in for a nasty shock.

Two UK companies, AT Telecom and Customer Service Helplines, have both recently been fined £50,000 for mis-leading customers by using search engine marketing. The regulator found that both companies were generating revenues of more than £250,000 but have since been ordered to refund their complainants.

It is important that customers become more aware of the problem of premium rate phone numbers, and think twice before dialling a number with a 09 prefix, or one that is not also displayed on the contact page of the organisation in question.

Despite this increase in the number of third party companies advertising premium rate numbers, PhonepayPlus say that the complaints about them have declined by around 77% since 2009. The watchdog also found in its Annual Report that the number of fines had also dropped by 74%. In order to try and prevent it even further, since last September all premium rate services have to be registered with PhonepayPlus.

There’s nothing worse than receiving a completely unexpected phone bill for hundreds of pounds land on your doorstep. To help you avoid getting burnt by the scammers, we have compiled a mini telephone directory of the customer service number of UK banks, credit card issuers, and prepaid card providers.

Credit Card Contact Numbers

Virgin Credit Card
Track your application 0800 096 9919
Activate your card 0800 0150 307
Card servicing 0800 015 0306
Lost or stolen cards 0800 015 0306
Check your balance, transactions or bill Text BAL, TRANS or BILL to 83838* or 07860 010 010*

Egg
General Enquiries 0844 811 9111

American Express
Platinum CashBack Credit Card: 0845 604 2638
Nectar Credit Card from American Express: 0845 600 5210
British Airways American Express Card: 0845 604 2532
Express Rewards Credit Card: 0845 604 2638
Blue Card: 0845 604 2832
Gold Credit Card: 0845 604 2638
Green Credit Card: 0845 604 2638
American Express RED: 0845 600 3216
Starwood Preferred Guest® Credit Card: 0845 604 2516

HSBC
Credit Cards (Account Opening) 0800 328 1278
Credit Cards Enquiries (Personal) 08457 404 404
Non HSBC Bank customers 08456 040 626
Credit Cards (Transfer Your Balance) 08456 043 114
New customers and applications in progress 0800 731 8921
Existing customers 0845 702 3344

Capital One
Telephone 08444 812 812
New and existing applications 0800 952 5452
Lost or stolen card 0800 952 5267
Identity fraud 08444 812 812

BarclayCard
Customer Services (Personal) 0844 811 9111
Emergency card replacement and cash advance 0844 811 9141
Financial difficulties helpline 0844 241 2929
Barclaycard applications and new customers 0800 731 0200
Internet customer services 0844 556 0105

UK Bank & Building Society Contact Numbers

NatWest
New Customer Enquiries 0800 200 400
Talk to us about your account 08457 888 444
Lost and stolen cards 0870 600 0459
Fraud & identity theft 0845 300 4350

RBS
New Customer Enquiries 0800 121 129
Talk to us about your account 08457 24 24 24
Lost and stolen cards 0870 600 0459
Fraud & identity theft 0845 300 4350

Lloyds TSB
Lost or stolen cards 0800 096 9779
Telephone banking 0845 3000 000

Nationwide
General enquiries 08457 30 20 10
Lost or stolen bank cards 08457 30 20 10
Lost or stolen credit cards 08457 99 22 22
Personal Loans 08459 30 20 12
Mysave 0845 605 0330

Prepaid Card Contact Numbers

Virgin Money
Visa 0845 089 6278
MasterCard 08454 601 606

Bread
General enquiries 0871 288 3272
Lost & stolen cards 0845 643 5132

Cashplus
General enquiries 0871 277 5599
Lost & stolen cards 0845 643 5132

Clearcash
General enquiries 08712 884 677
Lost & stolen cards 0870 609 3146

Kalixa
General enquiries 020 7636 7319
Lost & stolen cards 0800 783 7087

Written by : Mark is the Marketing Director at CompareandSave.com, having previously worked at a number of media agencies on various financial brands. He now splits his time between promoting CompareandSave and investigating new ways to help our readers save money. For press enquiries, please visit our Media Centre page.