Commercial debt collection scam using the names Eric Lawsom and Assa Abloy Ltd
Date First Reported: March 2014
Primary Name Associated: Eric Lawsom
Description of Potential Fraud:
A New Jersey firm notified us that they received an email from the purported Eric Lawsom and Assa Abloy Ltd looking to retain them with regards to a commercial debt collection.
This is a classic bad cheque scam that presents as legal matter requiring the assistance of a lawyer. In this scam lawyers will be duped into wiring real funds from their trust accounts after depositing a fake cheque received as payment from the debtor (who is part of the fraud). See our Confirmed Fraud Page for more of an explanation of how these frauds work and to see other names associated with it. Our Fraud Fact Sheet lists the red flags of a bogus legal matter that is really a fraud.
Here is the initial contact email sent by the fraudster to the lawyer
From: Eric Lawsom
To:
Sent: Wed, Mar 12, 2014 9:14 am
Good day to you Attorney,Our company has decided to contact
your Law firm as regards Litigation and collection issue
with some of our indebted customers within your region. In
order to achieve these objectives a good and reputable
Attorney/Law firm will be required to handle this service.
If you are in position to represent us at the moment kindly
advice immediately for further explanations.
Sincerely,
Human Resource
Eric Lawsom
ASSA ABLOY LIMITED
How to handle a real or suspected fraud
If you have been targeted by any of these frauds, please forward any of the emails and supporting documents that you have received to [email protected].
If you suspect you are acting on a matter that might be a fraud, call LAWPRO at 1-800-410-1013 (416-598-5899). We will talk you through the common fraud scenarios we are seeing and help you spot red flags that may indicate you are being duped. This will help you ask appropriate questions of your client to determine if the matter is legitimate or not. If the matter you are acting on turns out to be a fraud and there is a potential claim, we will work with you to prevent the fraud and minimize potential claims costs.
If you have been successfully duped, please immediately notify LAWPRO as there may be a claim against you. Instructions on how to report a claim are here.
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April 14, 2014 at 10:20 pm, joseph pratana said:
This is the email I received this morning, about less than 30 minutes ago.
It is the second email. The first one is just an offer for partnership. And I reply by asking of what kind of partnership. And they sent this email:
Top of the day to you. Sequel to your recent mail, first I must thank you for your interest in this endeavour but before we commence it will be better you know more about our company, ASSA ABLOY LIMITED is a manufacturing company and we are experts in the sales of Security Equipments, we export High Security Products into America, Canada, Australia and some parts of Europe. However, we are searching for a reputable representative to represent our company and help us establish a medium of getting our funds from our customers in their regions / local areas as well as making payments through you to us.
We have discovered that past dues are over $4,800,000.00 in 4 states in the US and they are over a year. We believed that we would have been paid this funds if we have someone to contact this customers in the same country, county or city on our behalf and demand payment. So we decided to contact you if you can help in collection of these delinquent accounts.
We would provide you with a Fee according to your demand and you would be paid 10% of the total sum you collect on behalf of our company in every transaction that is passed through you to our company as our representative. We understand that a proper agreement must be entered into by both parties so we want you to send us your standard letter of engagement / agreement for us to review and sign, then we will provide you with the fee and the delinquent accounts as when due.
Please accept my sincere appreciation for your willingness to render your services, as we look forward to your prompt response to my email.
NOTE: Attached is our company management summary to know about us better.
Sincerely,
Eric Lawson (HR)ASSA ABLOY LIMITED.,