The MoneySavingExpert founder said he will ‘have to cope’ with the consequences
Martin Lewis has spoken out, claiming that “anyone can be caught” in a new alert her issued today (July 16). The ITV broadcaster, known for highlighting warning signs of potential scams, has admitted that he was almost tricked by someone claiming to be from Amazon in a moment when he was distracted.
Posting on his social media accounts and on the MoneySavingExpert (MSE) website, Martin wrote: “I was in the studio, rushed in between recording my two podcasts. I got a WhatsApp call from ‘Amazon’.”
The finance expert said that, with his “brain elsewhere” he spoke to the caller who claimed that “they had reports of suspected fraud” over a new iPhone. Martin Lewis says he was told that he would need to enter a six-digit code for the issues to be cancelled.
Martin Lewis continued: “I was feeling rushed and pressured, as the team needed to record, but finally enough of my brain turned on to the call and alarm bells started. I said I wanted to first check that this call was legit [and] he got pushy, saying if I didn’t send the code he wouldn’t stop the iPhone being sent.”
With even more alarm bells ringing, Martin Lewis questioned why ‘Amazon’ would want to risk sending a high-value item if the customer says it wasn’t ordered. A quick search of the phone number revealed it was a known “Amazon scam number”.
Martin Lewis said: “Clearly, had I replied with the code he’d sent, he would have then asked for further details, and that would’ve started the data mine. Of course, by answering, I did inadvertently confirm that my number is a real one, so I’ll have to cope with that. The real lesson here is how sophisticated and plausible it was.”
The MoneySavingExpert founder added that, even though he is “hyper-alert to scams” and regularly tries to protect the UK public from them, the situation proves that catching someone at the wrong time can make all the difference and “anyone can be caught out”.
How to stop or limit scam phone calls on your device
Stop scam calls using your phone’s built-in filters, carrier-level AI protection, or by opting out of marketing lists. By not answering unknown calls, your number should receive fewer calls from scammers, as the line isn’t seen as active.
Letting the call ring out is always safer than hanging up manually. Pressing the decline button still tells the scammer’s automated dialer that a real human is actively holding the phone.
Once the ringing stops, go to your recent call log and manually block the number. Some devices will force unknown numbers to leave a message or give up on the call altogether.
On an iPhone, go to Settings, Phone, and turn on Silence Unknown Callers to send unknown numbers straight to voicemail. For Androids, find the Caller ID and Spam option in the Settings menu and enable Filter Spam Calls to automatically block suspected fraudsters.
