by FraudInfo

Date First Reported: January 2014

Primary Name Associated: Andy Prior

Description of Potential Fraud:

fraud-warning

Sixten U.S. lawyers have notified us that they received an email from the purported Andy Prior of Dental Sky Wholesaler 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 and subsequent reply:

From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Andy Prior
Sent: Friday, January 24, 2014 8:23 AM
Subject: Legal Assistance

Kindly get back to me if you handle civil litigation cases. We are in need of a lawyer.

Thank you,
Andy Prior

Replying to the email brought this response:

Thank you for responding to our request. We contacted Patterson dental supply Inc and requested they give us a price list of some goods we needed urgently. They responded confirming these goods were available and at a great price too, so we decided to deal with them.
We entered into a contract, which stated clearly their terms and the time we should have our goods. We paid the down payment they requested and until today that transaction never went as planned. We wrote them after the time they gave us to deliver goods was elapsed, to make them aware that we have run out of patience and want our money refunded. Since then until now, we have not gotten any goods neither did we receive our full money. We have tried to resolve this issue amicably but our entire plea has landed on deaf ears. We understand this matter has lingered on for so long, which is why we have decided to put an end to it finally. We know we cannot do this alone again, which is why we need a reputable firm like yours to step in. Find below details of supplier for your conflict check.

Patterson dental supply Inc
40A COMMERCE WAY
TOTOWA, NJ 07512

We want this matter resolved as quickly as possible and would do anything to make sure we get every dollar back. We are tired of letting this company take us for a ride and see us like fools. Even if it means litigation at this point, we are ready. All we need is for you to tell us what you need and how we can triumph in a case like this. You can imagine the pain this transaction had caused our company. We have a business to run here and countless transactions are done on a regular basis all over the world, which involves funds, we have to pay our staff, maintain the stability of our company and meet up with demands of other clients. How are we supposed to do that with setbacks like this? All documents regarding this transaction are attached. We have a few questions, which we have outlined below and will like you to please respond to them in your next email.
1. Does our case have any Achilles heel and what is its strength? 2. How often have you handled matters like this in the past? 3. When a court hearing comes, will we have to appear in person, if so how often? 4. How many years have you practiced? 5. If Patterson files for bankruptcy, what are our chances? 6. What are your plans and how you wish to have this matter tackled? 7. What are your rates and charge for cases like this?

Could you have your Engagement letter sent for our review if this case falls into what you handle or provide us with a referral?

We thank you for your time and will look out for a quick response from you and your firm.

Best Regards,

Andy Prior
Commercial Manager
Dental Sky Wholesaler Ltd
Unit A, Foster Road, Ashford Business Park,
Ashford, Kent, TN24 0SH,
United Kingdom
Direct +44 117 318 0932
Fax: +44 177 830 0145
Company Registration No: 3798886

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.

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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.