by FraudInfo

Date First Reported: January 2013

Primary Name Associated: Cochran Joe

Description of Potential Fraud:

fraud-warning

An Ontario firm notified us that they’ve received an email from the purported Cochran Joe 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 loan frauds.

Here is the email:

From: cochran joe [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Monday, January 28, 2013 7:23 AM
To: lawyer name
Subject: urgent

Dear [lawyer name]

Please do you handle Debt Recovery cases? I have a long time business client who has violated our contract agreement and i need a good lawyer to handle this matter urgently.
If you or your firm is retained, my expectation of your services for now will be within the scenario of a Demand letter to our client.
This approach will trigger the much needed response from our client towards amicable settlement.
I am prepared to pay your retainer fees. I will also send you other important and sensitive documents

Expecting your urgent reply

Best Regards
Cochran Joe

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 Sheet More 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.