Scam Alert Round up 20th June

Scam Alert Round up 20th June

Here are the latest scam alerts as issued by the Solicitors Regulation Authority.

Emails claiming to be a solicitor at “Mattew Asghar & Co”

The SRA say emails have been sent from an address “2110083@googlemail.com” claiming to be from a solicitor “Mattew Asghar & Co”, although appearing to come from a “Roberts Solicitors & Co”. The emails include an attached contract, a common method of delivering malware. The emails provide an address of 15 York Road, Liverpool SL6 1SW, telephone numbers of 01628 675777 and +44 (0)161 200 1700, and fax 41628 638666. They also include the SRA number for Andrew Brook Solicitors.

The SRA do not regulate any firm named “Mattew Asghar & Co” although “Mathew Asghar Solicitors” is a genuine firm based in Lancaster. Roberts Solicitors Limited are also a genuine firm however they do not use email addresses with googlemail domain names.

Neither the genuine Mathew Asghar Solicitors, Robers Solicitors Limited nor Andrew Brook Solicitors say they are connected with these messages.

Documents supposedly from “Burges Salmon LLP”

A member of the public has reported being sent a document falsely using the Burges Salmon LLP brand. It references a “mutual trust agreement” relating to an alleged business transaction. It inculdes the firm’s name in the heading as well as in a printed “stamp”

The genuine firm Burges Salmon LLP say they are unconnected with this document.

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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