Law firm scams – run by non-lawyer scam artists – are being set up to fleece “clients” using websites stolen from legitimate law firms.
The picture above purports to be a London, UK law firm – Dovernor – but it is in fact an image taken from a legitimate US law firm using a picture of US attorney Karl Johnson who works out of Kansas. And other firms have similarly had their imagery used by criminals.
In the UK, the Solicitors Regulation Authority says it is getting “more and more reports” of fake law firms, uncovering as many as one a day.
Here are the scams that criminal gangs are carrying out behind the fictitious legal fronts.
Inheritance
The most common reason that crooks pose as lawyers.
Their letters and emails say that you’re entitled to a share of the estate of a distant relative, but first
you’re told to pay fees to cover trumped-up expenses such as taxes or customs duty.
One attempt at the scam this month demanded £2,800 before the windfall could be released and used the name Charles Gipson & Jose Owens Executive Chambers, a made-up law firm.
Previously criminals have used the names Patrick J Cusack & Co and Pearsons Solicitors, both genuine firms, but changed the contact details so that they received replies.
The other reasons are lottery winnings, grants, injury claims, sales, investments and others.
