Solicitors targeted again in email scams
5 Sep 08
A Scottish solicitors' firm has had its identity used in a new variant of a familiar type of email fraud attempt
A Scottish firm of solicitors has had its identity hijacked in one example of a growing type of email fraud. An email purporting to come from the firm claimed that the sender was the representative of the poisoned Russian expatriate Alexander Litvinenko, that the deceased had large sums deposited abroad, and that the solicitor was unable to collect them due to fear of Russian agents – in short a variant of the fraudulent emails that purport to be sent from some African countries, seeking help to recover large sums supposedly on deposit in foreign banks.
The email was sent was sent to an individual in America, who passed it to his attorney who in turn raised the matter with the firm concerned.
There are some clues in the terms used in the message that would make a Scottish solicitor realise it is unlikely to be genuine, but these might not be so apparent to someone elsewhere. In addition only mobile phone and fax numbers are given, and a personal email address not the firm one.
The Society recognises that there is very little it or the real solicitors can do to prevent this happening, but advises that anyone receiving this type of email, from Scotland or elsewhere, should check with the firm/solicitor whose name is used – not by responding to the email or phoning the number given, but by using the firm’s main landline number or emailing via its website.