Scam Alert Round up 18th April

Scam Alert Round up 18th April

Here are the latest scam alerts issued by the SRA.

Phone calls claiming to be from “Jacksons Solicitors”

A member of the public has reported receiving a phone call from 0208 123 8819 in regards to a road traffic collision, claiming to be Michael Turner of Jackson Solicitors, Newcastle.

There is a firm named Jacksons based in Hampshire (tel: 01425 652110) and Jacksons Commercial & Private Law LLP in Cleveland (tel: 01642 356 500) but neither say they are connected with such calls, and neither employ anyone by the name of Michael Turner.

Malware emails claiming to be from “DLA Piper UK LLP”

The SRA has seen emails claiming to be from DLA Piper LLP in relation tot he payment of an unpaid debt. The emails have been sent from various email addresses and contain a link to a “printable version” of the unpaid invoice, which may well be malware.

Whilst DLA Piper LLP is a genuine firm, they say they have no connection with these emails.

Emails from “sue@solicitorsfirm.co.uk”

A firm has reported receiving an email from “sue@solicitorsfirm.co.uk” stating a firm’s client account is under review and offering to provide new bank details. There is no business regulated by the SRA named “Solicitors Firm”.

What to do

The SRA say when a firm’s or individual’s identity has been copied exactly (or cloned), due diligence is necessary. If you receive correspondence claiming to be from the above firm(s) or individual(s), or information of a similar nature to that described, you should conduct your own due diligence by checking the authenticity of the correspondence by contacting the law firm directly by reliable and established means.

You can contact the SRA to find out if individuals or firms are regulated and authorised by the SRA and verify an individual’s or firm’s practising details. Other verification methods, such as checking public records (e.g. telephone directories and company records) may be required in other circumstances.

Josh Morris

Josh is the Journalist for the Today's Group and writes many of the articles for Today's Conveyancer. He graduated with a degree in Physics from Cardiff University in 2009 before training as a journalist. He has previously written for The Times, The Mirror and The Daily Express.

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