by FraudInfo

Date First Reported: June 2013

Primary Name Associated: Julian Ford

Description of Potential Fraud:

fraud-warning

A Pennsylvania lawyer has notified us that he was contacted by the purported Julian Ford with regards to a breach of employment agreement scam. In this type of fraud the lawyer is retained to demand a settlement from an employer or employee, and is similar to workplace injury settlement scams we’ve seen. The fraudster will claim that they are overseas, but the employer is in their jurisdiction.

For details on how this fraud works and to see other names associated with it, see our Confirmed Fraud page.

Here is the initial email:

From: “Julian Ford”
To:
Subject: Re: Wrongful Dismissal

Hello,
I am seeking representation for a wrongful dismissal and a breach of contract matter.I had a valid 4 years contract of employment from my employer Mr.Samuel Yu of Concept Furniture .In my contract with him,it was clearly stated if I was to be terminated,I would be entitled to about $108,000 as compensation plus calculated benefits according to our terms of agreement.Please advise if this is your area of practice and how much it would cost to retain your firm.Please get back to me at your earliest convenience
Regards,
Julian Ford
[email protected]

Replying to the email brough this response and fake documentation:

Hello ,
Thanks for the prompt reply. I am sorry for the late response. It has been a very busy weeks for me since I open a new office. I have been busy with moving office, introducing new products and sometimes placing orders for some of my clients.My work sometimes entails with providing the best FOB prices out there for some of my clients.
I met Mr.Samuel Yue of Concept Furniture in 2011 at IDS (International Design Show). He deals on high-end wholesale of modern furniture for home, offices and outdoors. In 2012, I had valid consultancy contract agreement with him for a period of 4yrs, starting from February 13th, 2012 to February 13th, 2016 with an annual fee of $108,000.00.To my surprise, just when I was expecting to be paid for the work I have done for the previous year and looking toward the the years to come.I got the shocker of my life, a termination letter. Even when it is clearly stated in ‘paragraph 4’ of our contract that in any event of my termination, that I will be paid for any portion of the service that have been performed prior to the termination and also for the remainder of the contract.All I got from was a promise to pay.I don’t see any reason why I should wait for my settlement check.
Attached is a copy of the contract agreement and the termination letter for your review. I know I have to establish an attorney client relationship with you before any job could be done on your part. Please send me a copy retainer form/engagement letter, to better understand your terms and condition. Also included is the name of the my former employer for your conflicts check-

Samuel Yue
2 Robinson Plaza,
Pittsburgh, PA
15205

Warmest Regards,
Julian Ford
143 Tremaine Road
Milton,ON.L9T 2X2
1-416-831-6025

Ford Concept Furniture Agreement & Termination letter

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.