Solicitor details - data aggregation services

What’s the issue

We have been notified by members of a service offering to sell details of practising solicitors in Scotland.

The Law Society’s Find a Solicitor search tool provides details for all of our members who hold a current practising certificate. This information is freely available on our website.

Companies offering data aggregation services may pose limited risk, but you should establish independently if an organisation is legitimate as fraudsters will often use almost identical website and email addresses in attempting to dupe people.

Please be aware that we do not share or sell any dataset of practising solicitors, other than via our online Find a Solicitor search tool, and any such service is not authorised by us.

What should I do?

If you receive an email and you are unsure if it is legitimate do not click on any links or share with colleagues. You may wish to block the domain to ensure you do not receive further emails.

While none of us can prevent fraudsters imitating firms and organisations, we can all take steps to ensure that we are as protected as possible, such as consistency in communications to make sure clients and contacts know what to expect. If you suspect an email is fraudulent, it should be reported directly to Police Scotland. Find out more about reporting online crime in Scotland.

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