Fraud Prevention
Police release photos of suspects in mortgage fraud
See the Toronto Star article for the photos: Toronto police are asking for help identify two people who allegedly impersonated homeowners and sold their home without consent last year. Investigators say the owners of a Toronto property were out of the country on business in January 2022 when two people used fake identification to impersonate… Read More »
Categories: Fraud PreventionAvoid phishing and wire fraud scams over the holidays
Fraudsters often increase their efforts over the holidays when key staff may be away and people generally may be more distracted or rushing to get things done before the end of the year. The risk of getting duped could be increased this year with many of us working from home and the usual checks and… Read More »
Categories: Fraud PreventionRecent increase in bad cheque debt collection and equipment purchase frauds.
We have received several recent calls from lawyers with respect to equipment purchase and debt collection frauds. These frauds are not new, and in fact we have been warning lawyers about them for over ten years. However, they may may be new to newer lawyers. In these types of fraud scams, a lawyer is contacted… Read More »
Categories: Fraud PreventionNow available for replay: LAWPRO CPD “Survival Tips to Prevent Fraud”
Fraudsters all over the world are targeting lawyers and law firms. Lawyers and law firms need real time tips to prevent frauds. In December 2021, LAWPRO and TLA’s program Avoiding the wire fraud nightmare – what you need to know to protect yourself and your clients introduced the latest wire scams against law firms and… Read More »
Categories: Fraud PreventionUpdate about fund transfers
There has been much written about how lawyers receive and deliver money from their trust accounts on behalf of their clients as part of a transaction. The issue comes down to ensuring good funds are being dealt with in order that value is exchanged. In Canada, our banking system works on the basis of trust,… Read More »
Categories: Real Estate, Fraud PreventionWhat’s wrong with this picture? Be on alert for fake IDs issued by different authorities or different times with identical photos
LAWPRO continues to see high levels of real estate fraud activity. Lawyers and real estate clerks should be on high alert for mortgage frauds. In some instances, fraudsters appear to have used photo ID, issued by different authorities, or issued years apart, but where the documents used the same picture. In these cases, it’s clear… Read More »
Categories: Fraud PreventionWatch for real estate frauds involving private mortgages
In a hot real estate market fraudsters are even more motivated than usual – there is a lot of money to be had and lawyers are common targets. LAWPRO is seeing a significant increase in the number of real estate frauds involving private mortgages. The Toronto Police Service recently issued a news release about ongoing… Read More »
Categories: Fraud PreventionWhat to do if money is diverted to a fraudster’s account?
There are multiple scenarios whereby fraudsters will attempt to have you wire funds to a different account than the one that you had intended to fund. Unfortunately, some of those attempts are successful. LAWPRO has received such claims and heard of many others. Here are some tips to assist you if such a fraud happens… Read More »
Categories: Fraud Prevention