Fraud attacks on solicitors at "high levels", Society reports

High levels of attempted frauds against solicitors' client accounts are currently being reported, the Law Society of Scotland has warned.

Fraudsters are again using scam phone calls and emails in attempts to access client accounts, or to trick firms into sending payments to accounts controlled by the scammers.

Over the last week, the Society has been receiving multiple calls or emails every day about attempted fraud attacks on client accounts. The callers claim to be from bank fraud teams and sometimes appear to be knowledgeable about bank processes and recent firm transactions.

A caller referring to themselves as "Stephen at the bank" has called several firms asking for details of payments and has also attempted to access client accounts for solicitors.

Firms are encouraged to remind all staff of the potential for fraudulent calls purporting to be from banks, and not to disclose passwords or PIN numbers to anyone, even if purporting to be from the bank, or to answer emails seeking such information.

The Society has issued firms with a link to a Lloyds Banking Group alert concerning property completions, especially at busy times such as Fridays, and even more so before a holiday weekend. This highlights the characteristics of current phone and email scams and provides tips on how to prevent a firm from becoming a victim.

The Society is encouraging practices to make sure their relevant people are made aware of the current risk level and the tips contained in the alert.