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Archive for October, 2011

How to report (and stop) fraud attempts using Gmail, Yahoo and Hotmail addresses

October 31, 2011 By: TimLemieux Category: Fraud prevention

Followers of the AvoidAClaim blog will know that fraud attempts against lawyers show no sign of slowing down. Almost daily we see new names and new email addresses being used. Unfortunately, there doesn’t seem to be much that can be done to track down the actual perpetrators who are often overseas and using free email services.

However, the free email services will shut down addresses being used for illegitimate activities. Gmail, Yahoo, and Hotmail all have pages where you can submit an email address used in a fraud attempt. Yes, the fraudsters can quickly generate a new one, but shutting down an address will help stop any fraud attempts already in progress and force them to start from scratch.

The email services will usually ask that you submit the “header” of the email. This is the information (normally hidden) that shows all the various IP addresses and servers that the email bounced around on its way from the overseas fraudster to your inbox. Its relatively simple to display header information, and instructions for various email services are provided here.

Here are the pages to report the fraudsters, based on what email company they used:

We often get asked “What can I do to help shut these fraudsters down?” This is a simple but effect way to strike a blow against them.

Business debt collection scam by Susan Rahman

October 26, 2011 By: FraudInfo Category: Confirmed frauds

Two Ontario lawyers lawyers have notified us that they’ve received emails from the purported Susan Rahman looking to retain them with regards to a breach of a business loan agreement. This is similar to other frauds of this kind we have seen. For a full description of how this fraud works and to see other names attached to it, see our Confirmed Fraud page that deals with business load frauds.

From: Susan Rahman [mailto:susanmrahman@gmail.com]
Sent: October-23-11 10:46 PM
Subject: Re: Possible Legal Representation.

Dear Counsel,

I am seeking legal representation from your law firm regarding a breach of
Loan agreement I had with my borrower. I need proper legal advice and
assistance to know the best way to handle this issue. If this is your area
of practice, please contact me to provide you with further Information.

Regards,

Susan Rahman.

A lawyer who replied got these responses:

Good day to you and thanks for responding to my email. Please pardon my late email response as my condition does not allow me to stay long on the computer. The consultation fee shouldn’t be a problem, kindly send me your firm fee / retainer agreement for my review and upon receipt and if OK, I will make immediate provision for the fee.

My full names are Susan Rahman. I am a lender who lends companies and individuals funds on a fixed term to invest and in return pay back with interest. On January 5th, 2009, I lend Arcing Electric Ltd who is located in your jurisdiction the sum of $480.000.00 with interest on two years fixed term and to pay back January 5th, 2011.

There has not been any attorney working on this case. Different payment dates have been promised and I still have not received anything. I was advised to seek legal assistance in my borrower jurisdiction which is why I contacted you to act as my counsel in retrieving these funds. My last contact with my Borrower, I was told I would receive payment not later than Mid January 2011 and till now, nothing has been paid.

Kindly let me know what your fees would be in order for me to inform the company to expect contact from you as you have been authorized to act on my behalf. I would like to forward your details to them on your approval, so they know a law firm is representing me and I can sue for breach of agreement if they don’t keep their promise. I would like to give them this last chance to fulfill their obligations before we start legal proceeding.

Please do get back to me so I can furnish you with the required details to contact my borrower on my behalf as I know these companies respect law firms and do not want to be carried to court. Before we proceed, kindly forward your fee/retainer agreement for my review and if okay upon receipt, I will make immediate provision for the fee for you to begin work.

Thank you for your anticipated co-operation and understanding. Contact me should you require more information. I have attached here a copy of the Loan Agreement Promissory Note for your peruse. My borrower’s name is Arcing Electric Ltd.

Regards,

Susan Rahman.

Then later…

I was wondering if you received my last email to you containing detailed explanation, attached Loan Agreement Promissory Note that we had, and my Borrower’s name and address who is located in your jurisdiction. Please kindly let me know if you are willing to take up this matter as I have already advised them of my intention to retain a legal firm to litigate this issue if need be.

I do not think this matter will result to litigation as they are not disputing the claim neither do they want to contest it. All I need is a reputable law firm like yours to act on my behalf as I am sick of their various excuses. They agreed to pay but kept giving me numerous excuses and turning me around. Each time they noticed I am about to seek a legal counsel to sue for breach of the agreement we had, they always come up the notion that they want to pay and the moment I cool off, they won’t come up with the payment.

They emailed me agreeing to pay after I notify them of my intention to sue them for breach of loan agreement we had. They have previously made several promises to come up with the payment and none they kept and that is the more reason I told them this time around, I am seeking a legal counsel that will retrieve this funds from them and if need be, litigate them for breach of loan agreement

I am seeking a counsel basically because it is taken longer for them to come up the reimbursement as agreed on the Note, and I know with a counsel involvement, these funds will be release as soon as possible without going to court. Kindly send me your firm fee / retainer agreement for my review and if OK upon receipt, I shall make immediate provision for the fee.

Thanks as I look forward in receiving the agreement.

Regards

Ms. Rahman.

How to handle a real or suspected fraud (more…)

Beware of “rumor about you” DM that is Twitter account hijack exploit

October 25, 2011 By: FraudInfo Category: Confirmed frauds

Earlier this afternoon I received the following message from a lawyer I know: “There is a rumor/blog going around about you http://tdotco/abcdefg might want to read it” (TLD is t.co and other part of the URL is s1bYMHV).

If you click on this link and successfully load this site, it sends this message to all your followers. It is currently circulating among Canadian lawyers. Beware and don’t get fooled.

About 2 months ago got a “You look different in this pic” DM from the same t.co TLD. Watch for it and stay away.

Business loan fraud by Prateep Ponimdang

October 25, 2011 By: FraudInfo Category: Confirmed frauds

Two British Columbia lawyers lawyers have notified us that they’ve received emails from the purported Prateep Ponimdang looking to retain them with regards to a breach of a business loan agreement. This is similar to other frauds of this kind we have seen. For a full description of how this fraud works and to see other names attached to it, see our Confirmed Fraud page that deals with business load frauds.

Here is an example of the initial email:

From: Mr prateep Ponimdang [mailto:prateep42@yahoo.co.th]
Sent: October-10-11 8:14 PM
To: lawyer name
Subject: Ref: Legal inquiry

Ref: Legal inquiry

I am Mr Prateep Ponimdang from Thailand.I need the service of a lawyer to collect the money i loan to a friend who now reside in Canada.

Please let me know if this matter is within the areas of your practice.

Sincerely

Mr Prateep Ponimdang

A lawyer who replied got this response:

Thanks for your response .It was a personal loan which i granted to her as she needed it for her business then in Thailand, but she now reside presently in Victoria, British Columbia.

The agreement was that the loan be paid back after 27 Months and the agreed period is past and she yet to pay back the money.

So i shall need your service in collecting this money from her, since she now reside within your legal boundaries .

I have just inform her of my intention to retain your firm to collect the money from her and from her responds she seem very much afraid of litigation and she don;t want this to result to a court case. so she is assuring me that she is ready to make the payment, so i advice that all funds should be directed to your office as that is the only way i can make her pay without any further delay.

Meanwhile, she has requested that i forward her the following information below from your firm to enable her issue a part payment to show her readiness to meet her obligation while the balance will be paid soonest.

1 Name to issue the cheque :
2.Your Address:
3.Your Telephone number :

Upon receipt of the payment you shall deduct you hourly charges and any other legal fee applicable for this kind of service.Hope to hear from you ASAP with the information above so that i can forward to her and i could also send her information to you for record purpose.

Attached is copies of the loan agreement and my ID for your file.

Sincerely

Mr Prateep Ponimdang


How to handle a real or suspected fraud (more…)

Huge collection of fake IDs, documents and cheques given to lawyers by fraudsters

October 24, 2011 By: FraudInfo Category: Fraud prevention

Fraud attempts against lawyers can involve a great deal of counterfeit documentation, starting with the initial client ID (passports, licenses), various agreements, loan documents and bank statements, and ending with the cheque that finally arrives at the lawyer’s office. When we add posts about a fraud to the AvoidAClaim blog, we also provide images of these fake documents that lawyers have provided to us.

On a new page on the AvoidAClaim blog we have post a large selection of the fake passports, licenses, documentation and cheques in one place. The page is called “Huge collection of fake IDs, documents and cheques given to lawyers“)to give an idea of the abundance and quality of the forged documents being used to try to ensare lawyers and make scams seem credible. Displaying the images in this way also reveals that many of the forged IDs are identical, and multiple fake personas can be made from a single stolen passport:

We have numerous examples of:

Passports;

Driver’s licenses;

Assorted documentation;

And cheques.

We often get asked “how could anyone fall for these scams?” This page demonstrates just how sophisticated the fraud attempts can be. Visit this “Huge collection of fake IDs, documents and cheques given to lawyers“) to see for yourself.

Cross posted at Slaw.ca

Commercial debt collection scam by Daniel Smith or Howard Fox of Bristol Medical Equipment Ltd

October 24, 2011 By: TimLemieux Category: Confirmed frauds

Lawyers in California and Arizona have been receiving emails from the purported Daniel Smith or Howard Fox with regards to a commercial debt litigation scam. Its probably only a matter of time before Ontario lawyers see them too. For examples of other names attached to this kind of fraud see our Confirmed Fraud Page. For an explanation of how this fraud works see our Fraud Fact Sheet.

Here is an example of the message:

From: Daniel Smith [mailto:danielsmith4449@yahoo.co.uk]
Sent: Friday, October 21, 2011 9:38 AM
To: lawyer name
Subject: RE

Dear Counsel,

Thank you for your earnest response.

I represent. Bristol medical equipment ltd. and it is the UK arm of medical supplies.The company distributes a wide range of medical and surgical supplies. While it supplies such operating room basics as sutures and fluid administration equipment, it also makes larger computer-assisted surgery guidance systems and implant materials. Orthopaedic implants and devices for trauma care are supplied from the company’s to other general health care centers. Its Sterilog facilities provide equipment sterilization services for hospitals. Its disposable products are destined for use in hospitals, medical offices, and home care settings.We Import our products from North America and Europe.

We request your representation to counsel us in litigation and enable us recoup the funds owed to our company.We do appreciate your time in reviewing our request,We are ready to work with you to achieve our goal as the importance of your services.

We are of the opinion that once our presence is established in your state via a legal representative,our seller will comply with payment request and accompanied with legal action and litigation will push for the accounts to be paid attention to effectively.We understand the concept of running a conflict check that is why we are providing our delinquent seller located in your state for your conflict check.

Universal Hospital Services, Inc
2135 S. 11TH Avenue
Suite 110
Phoenix, AZ 85007

This particular seller owes approx. $490,220.00 and the delivery is overdue as our regular purchase agreement requires seller to effect goods not later than 60 days upon payment or legal action may be enforced if delivery delay exceeds 90 days. We happened to have placed an order of medical supplies worth $980,440.00, and they demanded we pay 50 percent of the funds before delivering our products. Payment to this seller was made in 22nd March of 2011 and our calculation shows that delivery are Months late.

It will be very helpful if we receive your standard retainer agreement. This will enable our board decide on the conditions of the retainer in our next board meeting. Also once we have reviewed your agreement I will forward you supporting documents ie., proof of payment, sales invoice, so your firm can start working on this case. It’s not my company policy to give out documents when we have not agreed on retaining your firm.

We thank you for your business as we look forward to your prompt response.

Sincerely,

Daniel Smith
Director
Bristol medical equipment ltd
20 surrey close,Granby industrial estate,
weymouth, dorset, dty 7ty Uk
www.bristolmediequip.co.uk

How to handle a real or suspected fraud (more…)

Commercial debt collection scam by Song Sue of Chinese Graphite & Carbon Ltd

October 20, 2011 By: FraudInfo Category: Confirmed frauds

Lawyers in Ontario have been receiving emails from the purported Mrs. Song Sue with regards to a commercial debt litigation scam. These messages are coming in the form of MS Word attachments, rather than in the text of the email. For examples of other names attached to this kind of fraud see our Confirmed Fraud Page. For an explanation of how this fraud works see our Fraud Fact Sheet.

Here is an example of the message:

Chinese Graphite & Carbon Limited
Room 901, Building 1, Huaao Center, Zizhuyuan Road,
Haidian District, Beijing, China

Dear Counsel,

Chinese Graphite & Carbon Limited is a professional manufacturer of industrial graphite blocks, graphite electrode and other carbon products for years and the management requires your legal representation for our North American delinquent customers.

We are looking for a reputable attorney to represent us in North America in order for us to recover monies due to our organization by overseas customers, and as well follow up with these accounts. In order to achieve these objectives a good and reputable law firm will be required to handle this service(s).

We understand that a proper Attorney client agreement must be entered into by both parties. Your consideration of our request is highly anticipated and we look forward to your prompt response.

Kindly get back to us on: chinese-graphite@hush.com

Yours Faithfully,
Mrs. Song Sue
Sales Manager
Chinese Graphite & Carbon Limited
Tel/Fax 86-10-59221201
chinese-graphite@hush.com

How to handle a real or suspected fraud (more…)

Commercial debt collection scam by Mark Duga

October 18, 2011 By: FraudInfo Category: Confirmed frauds

Lawyers in Ontario, Florida, Alabama and Louisiana have told us they’ve received emails from the purported Mark Duga with regards to a commercial debt litigation scam. For examples of other names attached to this kind of fraud see our Confirmed Fraud Page. For an explanation of how this fraud works see our Fraud Fact Sheet.

Here is an example of the email:

From: Mark Duga
To: lawyer name
Sent: Wednesday, October 12, 2011 9:29 PM
Subject: your service is in need

Hi Counsel,
My name is Mark Duga of Orek Vision and I am requesting the services of your firm on a breach matter with Timothy Mclead in the amount of $423,306.00.Please respond if this is something your firm can handle for me.

Best Regards,
Mark Duga

Company name:OrekVision
Address: North York Newtonbrook,
Ontario, M2M 4M7
Tel: 1-905-781-6684

One lawyer received the follow cheque and cover letter from the fraudsters:


How to handle a real or suspected fraud (more…)

Business loan collection scam by Steven Stafford

October 18, 2011 By: FraudInfo Category: Confirmed frauds

Two Ontario lawyers lawyers have notified us that they’ve received emails from the purported Steven Stafford or Steven Stafford Mark looking to retain them with regards to a breach of a business loan agreement. This is similar to other frauds of this kind we have seen. For a full description of how this fraud works and to see other names attached to it, see our Confirmed Fraud page that deals with business load frauds.

Here is an example of the email:

Message from Steven Stafford staffordsteve03@yahoo.com on Fri, 14 Oct 2011 16:29:49 -0400 —–
To: lawyer name
Subject: 回覆︰ Litigation Counsel

Dear ,

I am a private lender who lends Investors, small companies and individuals funds on a fixed term to invest and in return pay back with interest. On January 5th, 2009, I lend Annrick Electric Inc., the company who is located in your jurisdiction the sum of $680.000.00 with interest on two years fixed term and to pay back January 5th, 2011. Attached to this mail is the agreement we signed.

There has not been any attorney working on this case. Different payment dates have been promised and I still have not received anything. Advice from my friends was to seek legal assistance which is why I contacted you to act for me in retrieving these funds. In my last contact with my Borrower, I was told I would receive payment not later than Mid January 2011 and till now, nothing has been paid.

Please do get back to me so I can furnish you with the required details to contact my borrower and receive my funds as I know these companies respect law firms and do not want to be carried to court. Before we proceed I will like you to forward your fee/retainer agreement for me to review and if okay, sign and return for you to begin work, also, include your firm payment information should in-case they want to make a full or partial payment they owe.

Thank you for your anticipated co-operation and understanding. Contact me should you require more information.

Regards,

Stafford Steven M

One lawyer who replied had the following exchange:

Good day to you and thanks for responding to my email. Please pardon my late email response as my condition does not allow me to stay long on the computer. I am currently now in Asia on a charity work.

I am a private lender who lends Investors, small companies and individuals funds on a fixed term to invest and in return pay back with interest. On January 5th, 2009, I lend Wagner Electric, the company who is located in your jurisdiction the sum of $380.000.00 with interest on two years fixed term and to pay back January 5th, 2011. Attached to this mail is the agreement we signed.

There has not been any attorney working on this case. Different payment dates have been promised and I still have not received anything. Advice from my friends was to seek legal assistance which is why I contacted you to act for me in retrieving these funds. In my last contact with my Borrower, I was told I would receive payment not later than Mid January 2011 and till now, nothing has been paid.

Please do get back to me so I can furnish you with the required details to contact my borrower and receive my funds as I know these companies respect law firms and do not want to be carried to court. Before we proceed I will like you to forward your fee/retainer agreement for me to review and if okay, sign and return for you to begin work.

Thank you for your anticipated co-operation and understanding. Contact me should you require more information.

Regards,

Stafford Steven Mark.

Enclosed is a proposed Agreement for Professional Services. Kindly review it carefully, and if it meets with your approval, please execute and return it to this office, with the retainer, at your earliest convenience.

While this may seem unduly formal and detailed, experience has taught me that our attorney-client relationship will be far more agreeable if we have a complete written understanding of the arrangements between us.

Should there be questions or problems regarding this matter, please feel free to call or email me at your convenience.

Good day to you. Sorry for the delay not getting back to you soon as promised. Work has been highly demanding over here lately. Attached herewith, is the signed, scanned retainer’s agreement and I would advise you acknowledge the receipt.

This is also to inform you that my borrower {Wagner Electric} has just confirmed to me that they have issued a partial payment in the amount of $180,000.00 and additional $5,000 as retainer fee as you’ve requested in your firm’s name. Do confirm to me upon receipt of the funds.

Please note that as soon as you receive the funds, you are to deduct all your charging fees and wait for further directives from me.

Once again, thank you so much for making this happened.

How to handle a real or suspected fraud (more…)

Business loan collection scam by Randal Christensen [updated June 2012]

October 18, 2011 By: TimLemieux Category: Confirmed frauds

A dozen Ontario lawyers lawyers have notified us that they’ve received emails from the purported Christensen Randalg looking to retain them with regards to a breach of a business loan agreement. This is similar to other frauds of this kind we have seen. For a full description of how this fraud works and to see other names attached to it, see our Confirmed Fraud page that deals with business load frauds.

Here is an example of the email:

From: Randal G.Christensen. [mailto:christensen_randalg@yahoo.com]
Sent: Tuesday, May 29, 2012 1:30 PM
To: Lawyer name
Subject: Re: Possible Legal Representation.

Dear Counsel,

I am seeking legal representation from your law firm regarding a breach of Loan agreement I had with my borrower. I need proper legal advice and assistance to know the best way to handle this issue. If this is your area of practice, please contact me to provide you with further Information.

Regards,

Randal G.Christensen.

One lawyer received two counterfeit cheques. One for the outstanding debt, one for retainer fees. Note the identical cheque numbers:

How to handle a real or suspected fraud (more…)