Commercial debt collection scam using the names Trevor Smith and Takeda Pharameuticals
Description of Potential Fraud:

Three Ontario firms notified us that they received an email from the purported Trevor Smith of Takeda Pharameuticals 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 email sent by the fraudster to the lawyer:
From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Monday, July 28, 2014 11:49 AM
Subject: Company Representative:
Hello,
We wish to contract your esteemed company to act as our company’s representative (intermediary between Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited and its customers in Canada and United States).
If you agree to this affiliation, we will be very glad to discuss our Prospective Partnership as well as other benefits. Please advise if you are interested in partnering with us.
Trevor Smith.
Takeda Pharmaceuticals Europe Limited
Head of Europe and Canada Commercial Operations, Takeda Pharmaceuticals International GmbH www.takeda.com
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.
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.
October 23, 2015 at 1:57 pm, Claude Leroux said:
Here are two suspect emails I received within two days:
[email protected] [email protected]
03:09 (Il y a 10 heures)
À moi
Hi Claude Leroux
How are you today, I am still yet to hear back from you since my last mail to you.
Kindly respond and let us know if you are still interested in this Financial Coordinator position.
Sincerely,
Martin Freymond.
Thank you for your inquiry to Japan Steel Works, Ltd.
Boîte de réception
x
The Japan Steel Works, LTD.
20:27 (Il y a 17 heures)
À moi
Dear Sir/Madam
Thank you for contacting us via the JSW website. Your inquiry has been received, and we will respond as quickly as possible. Please note that inquiries received on weekends and holidays will be dealt with on or after the following business day. Your understanding is appreciated.
Note: This is an automatically generated response to inquiries via our website. Please do not reply to this e-mail.
——————————————————————————
Details of inquiry
——————————————————————————
[Nature of inquiry]Other Inquiries
[Details of inquiry]
Is this email sent by your company?
REPRESENTATIVE OPPORTUNITY:
Currently we are breaking into the emerging North America Market with our range of new products, due to high demand. Hence we seek Representatives in USA/Canada due to a raising number of customer’s overdue payments. …
Thank you. Waiting to hear from you.
Regards,
Takashi Sato
Recruitment/Human Resource Manager
Japan Steel Works (JSW)
Gate City Ohsaki-West Tower
11-1, Osaki 1-chome,
Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo, Japan
[email protected]
[email protected]
+81 (034) 520 8057
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The Japan Steel Works, LTD.
http://www.jsw.co.jp/