Breach of contract scam by Chan Li of QUNI IND (HK) LTD

Posted January 11, 2012 by FraudInfo

---

---

Description of Potential Fraud:

A lawyer in Ontario and one in BC have notified us that they’ve received emails from the purported Chan Li looking to retain them with regards to a breach of contract. This is a variant of the basic bad cheque scam in which the aim is to have a counterfeit cheque deposited in the lawyer’s trust account and good money disbursed to the fraudsters. As with business loan frauds where the debtor miraculously agrees to pay up right away, in this scam the ‘customer’ accused of breaching the contract will no doubt also quickly send a (counterfeit) cheque for damages to the lawyers office, and the lawyer will be asked to wire the funds (minus fees and costs) to an offshore account.

Here is an example of the initial contact email:

Here is an example of the email:

From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Wednesday, January 11, 2012 7:29 AM
To: lawyer name
Subject: Representative needed

Hello Attorney,

This is a request for your possible represenatation in a breach of contract matter. I’m Mr Chan Li of QUNI IND (HK) LTD I like to know if your schedule will permit you to handle a case of breach contract between us and a customer in your jurisdiction. If there are processes new clients are meant to go through before a case is accepted please advice, or if you accept case base on referral I would want to know also.

It is important we hear from you as soon as possible so we can decide on what to do. If you have any questions or concern do not hesitate to contact me.

Yours Truly,
Mr Chan Li
Unit 5, 12/F; Blk B,
Lux Theatre Bldg; 2-20 Ming On St; Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong
+86 – 59 – 5162580
[email protected]

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.

For more immediate updates on fraud and claims prevention, subscribe to the email or RSS feed updates from LAWPRO’s AvoidAClaim blog.

Fraud Fact SheetMore fraud prevention information and resources are available on the practicePRO Fraud page, including the Fraud Fact Sheet, a handy reference for lawyers and law firm staff that describes the common frauds and the red flags that can help identify them.