About FraudInfo
Fraud continues to be a significant and costly problem for LAWPRO.
Fraudsters are successfully duping lawyers and law clerks, and it’s not
just real estate lawyers who are being targeted. Litigation, business, IP and family law lawyers are frequent targets of bad cheque scams involving debt collections, business loans, licensing disputes, and spousal support payments.
Don’t be complacent and think you would never be fooled. These frauds
are very sophisticated. The matters will look legitimate, the fraudsters will be very convincing and the client ID and other documents you get will look real. The fake cheques have fooled bank tellers and branch managers. There may even be two or more people collaborating on both sides of a transaction to make the scenario more convincing.
FraudInfo's Posts
Collaborative family law agreement scam by Michelle Eley
A lawyer in Ontario and one in Saskatchewan have notified us that they have been contacted by the purported Michelle Eley with regards to a divorce settlement agreement. We saw this name a few times in 2010 as well. This is a fraud we have seen before under several other names and similar scenarios. For… Read More »
Categories: Divorce Settlement Fraud, Fraud WarningsBreach of contract scam by Chan Li of QUNI IND (HK) LTD
A lawyer in Ontario and one in BC have notified us that they’ve received emails from the purported Chan Li looking to retain them with regards to a breach of contract. This is a variant of the basic bad cheque scam in which the aim is to have a counterfeit cheque deposited in the lawyer’s… Read More »
Categories: Fraud WarningsBreach of lease agreement scam by Jane Zhu of China Harbour Engineering Company Limited
Four Ontario lawyers have reported to us that they’ve been contacted by the purported Jane Zhu of China Harbour Engineering Company Limited with regards to retaining their services to collect on a breach of a lease agreement. It is very similar to the Kiyoshi Yukio and Nan Zhang emails lawyers across Canada received. This is… Read More »
Categories: Fraud WarningsBreach of lease agreement scam by Nan Zhang of NPI Lease Company Limited
Over 130 lawyers have reported to us that they’ve been contacted by the purported Nan Zhang of NPI Lease Company with regards to retaining their services to collect on a breach of a lease agreement. It is nearly identical to the Kiyoshi Yukio emails lawyers across Canada also received today. This is another bad cheque… Read More »
Categories: Fraud WarningsBreach of lease agreement scam by Kiyoshi Yukio of NPI Lease Company Limited
Over 100 lawyers have reported to us that they’ve been contacted by the purported Kiyoshi Yukio of NPI Lease Company with regards to retaining their services to collect on a breach of a lease agreement. This is a new variant of the basic bad cheque scam in which the aim is to have a counterfeit… Read More »
Categories: Fraud WarningsHuge collection of fake IDs, documents and cheques given to lawyers by fraudsters
Fraud attempts against lawyers can involve a great deal of counterfeit documentation, starting with the initial client ID (passports, licenses), various agreements, loan documents and bank statements, and ending with the cheque that finally arrives at the lawyer’s office. When we add posts about a fraud to the AvoidAClaim blog, we also provide images of… Read More »
Categories: Fraud PreventionThe red flags of an email scam
Many email scams are obvious due to poor spelling, bad grammar and/or completely untenable fact circumstances (e.g., multi-million dollar lottery wins or inheritances). However, some of the email-based frauds LAWPRO is seeing are extremely sophisticated and look like completely legitimate legal matters. The more sophisticated frauds have temporarily fooled new and experienced lawyers into working… Read More »
Categories: Fraud PreventionBusiness Financial Dispsute Scam by Shi Quen/Shi Yu of Luthai Textile Co. Ltd
In the first three weeks of April several Ontario lawyers have reported receiving an email seeking help on a financial dispute from the purported Shi Quen who claims to be the Chief Financial Officer of Luthai Textile Co. Ltd. Both initial contact emails are very short and are reproduced here: From: Luthai Textile – [email protected]… Read More »
Categories: Fraud Prevention