Solicitor Scam Alerts

The legal press has seen an increase in reporting of cyber scams and even a cursory look at the Solicitors Regulation Authority’s scam alerts page show dozens of reports of fraudsters pretending to be from respected law firms: http://www.sra.org.uk/alerts/

The intent of all the scams is to obtain money from the unsuspecting.  A common ploy is to send emails suggesting that the recipient is a distant relative of a recently deceased multi-millionaire.  The emails may have a smart looking logo but on closer inspection, they usually show errors which should be a warning they are not real – spelling errors, Hotmail or other similar email accounts used to send the emails etc.  The Solicitors Regulation Authority has a guide to common scams on its website: http://www.sra.org.uk/consumers/problems/fraud-dishonesty/scams.page

As with much in life, and while many of us may like the idea of a large inheritance from a long-lost relative, if it appears to good be true, it probably is.

If you receive an email you are concerned about, you should not open any attachments or call the number listed in the email. Certainly do not reply to the email itself.  Action Fraud is the national fraud and cyber crime reporting centre run by the City of London police.  They have a number and a website to which scams can be reported: http://www.actionfraud.police.uk/