Cyber Crime Warning

One of the most common types of fraud is the criminal ‘cloning’ of the identity of a solicitor’s firm. The fraudsters will send you an email which looks like it has been sent by your solicitor. These types of emails can be very convincing and difficult to distinguish from a genuine email – one of the ways it is possible to tell is if there is a slight difference in the email address used against emails of genuine employees at the firm.

Fraudulent emails usually request the transfer of fee payments or other monies. Bank account details are also provided, into which you are to send the requested amount. These accounts are not genuine and are operated by the fraudsters. Fraudsters are able to do this because emails are not a secure method of correspondence and can be accessed and altered.

You can opt out of email correspondence with us, if you wish.

Another common scam involves the cloning or interception of your email address. Often, an email will be sent to your solicitor, appearing to be from you, asking for monies that belongs to you to be released from us to a bank account provided within the email.

For this reason, we will never follow instructions to release moneys, provided by email alone. Instead, we will always verify these instructions with you, either by telephone or face-to-face. Until we have verified your identity and bank details to our satisfaction, we will not release any monies to you. It is therefore important that you return our phone calls or respond to our letters promptly. If you do not, then there may be delays in you receiving any moneys held by us on your behalf. In certain circumstances, we may decide that the safest way to transfer the moneys we hold on your behalf, will be by cheque.

The clients of this firm have never been targeted in these kinds of scam, but it is important that you are alert to the possibility that you could be targeted.  We run strict information security, data protection and client confidentiality procedures, but it is important that you remain alert to the risks also.

The clients of this firm have never been targeted in these kinds of scam, but it is important that you are alert to the possibility that you could be targeted.  We run strict information security, data protection and client confidentiality procedures, but it is important that you remain alert to the risks also.

In particular, please note that we will never ask you to make a payment directly to our bank account by email.  Any such email you may receive will not have come from this firm and should be reported to the police and to us immediately. We will not change our bank account details given to you in our client care letter.

If you are in any doubt about any email you receive from us you must check the authenticity of the email by contacting us directly by trustworthy means, such as by telephoning the number on our website. You must not use the number on any suspicious email you may receive as this may also be operated by the fraudsters.

If you do not follow the advice above, you could stand to lose significant sums of money to fraudsters and this firm will not be liable to you for any losses – unless they have occurred as a result of our negligence.

If you have any questions about the content of this note, please discuss these with us immediately.