Fraud alert – emails impersonating solicitors

We have been alerted by the Faculty of Advocates that its members have recently received a spate of scam emails from fraudsters pretending to be legitimate solicitor firms.

The scam emails all follow a similar pattern, seeking payment for an invoice.

The emails:

• come from email addresses that look like the legitimate solicitors’ addresses, but are not
• the subject lines follow a format similar to: “Completed: Review Invoice/Payment Document Shared by XX Solicitors - July 2024”.
• the emails contain a link that then prompts for a login and password.

Please do not click on any links in emails that you are unsure are legitimate. Do not share these emails with colleagues. You may wish to block the domain to ensure you do not receive further emails.

Solicitors can help clients and contacts protect themselves by being consistent in your communications and ensuring that clients know what to expect from your firm. Ask clients and contacts to call your office to confirm details, if they receive any communications requesting a payment. Keep discussing the issue with clients to ensure that they are alive to the threats of cybercrime.

Where a fraud is suspected or has taken place, it should be reported directly to Police Scotland. Find out more about reporting online crime in Scotland here.

You can find further information about the threats of cybercrime and action you can take to protect yourself in our Guide to Cybersecurity.