by FraudInfo

Description of Potential Fraud:

fraud-warning

Thirty firms in Ontario and the U.S. have notified us that they received an email from the purported Rob Kloos of Veka Shipyard looking to retain them with regards to making a large commercial purchase.

This appears to be a 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 purchaser (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 to the lawyer:


From: Rob Kloos [email protected]
Date: March 25, 2016 at 12:29:05 EDT
Subject: LEGAL INQUIRY
Reply-To: [email protected]

Hi,

We are a Europe based Marine Construction firm and we need an attorney
to assist us in drafting a purchase and Sales agreement with a buyer
in your area. Are you able to take this matter? If not, a referral
will be appreciated.

Rob Kloos
Operations Manager VEKA GROUP NV
VEKA Shipyard Lemmer
Sluisweg 13-16
8531 DJ
[email protected]

Replying to the email brought this response:

Thanks for your prompt response to my inquiry My company VEKA GROUP NV, is a Europe based Marine Construction firm We currently have a buyer for one of our Equipment ‘”130213-DP Sand and Gravel Dredge with Process Plant”. The buyer is
Ocean City Boat Lifts & Marine Construction Inc., 12010 Industrial Park Rd Ste 1-1, Bishopville, MD 21813.

We have negotiated the Letter of intent sent by the buyer. Both company has agreed to the content of the letter of intent.Base on this,we will like to engage your firm as our company attorney, in this transaction .to help draft the Purchase and Sales Agreement and provide other service as requested by the buyer in the Letter of intent.

However, forward me your retainer agreement so we can proceed.

I look forward to your response.

Regards,

Regards,
Rob Kloos
Operations Manager VEKA GROUP NV
VEKA Shipyard Lemmer
Sluisweg 13-16
8531 DJ
+32465765969

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]. We use this information for the warnings we post on AvoidAClaim. We do not disclose the names of firms that have provided us with information.

Ontario Lawyers - Call LAWPRO

If you are an Ontario lawyer acting on a matter that you suspect might be a fraud, call LAWPRO at 1-800-410-1013 (416-598-5899). One of our Fraud Team members 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, we will work with you to prevent the fraud and minimize potential claims costs.

What can you do to help put a stop to the fraud attempt?

You can simply stop replying to the fraudster’s emails or inform them that you suspect fraud and will not act on the matter. You can report the fraudsters’ email addresses to the email hosting company. If you have a fraudulent cheque you can destroy it or send it to the fraud department of the financial institution it is drawn upon. In Canada, you can report the fraud to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.

We are often asked if it is worthwhile to report the fraud attempt to the police in the hopes of helping catch the fraudsters. You can certainly report the fraud to your local or federal law enforcement agencies, but unfortunately it is often difficult, expensive and time consuming for them to attempt to shut down these online fraud perpetrators (though there are some successes).

What if the fraud has been successful?

If you have been successfully duped, please immediately notify LAWPRO as there may be a claim against you. See the LAWPRO website for instructions on how to report a claim.

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. To proactively prevent trust account shortfalls and malpractice claims, LAWPRO encourages firms to teach their lawyers and staff about fraud and how to recognize fraud attempts.