Fraud Prevention
Remote communication and fraud risks in real estate
In the context of COVID-19, lawyers are often unable to meet in person with their clients. The Law Society of Ontario has temporarily authorized remote verification of client identity and permitted remote commissioning of documents. This information can be found in this FAQ. Remote meetings and remote signing introduce additional fraud risks. Lawyers need to… Read More »
Categories: Real Estate, Fraud PreventionBeware of cybersecurity risks during COVID-19 and working from home
This post is adapted from a message from Gowling WLG to their lawyers and staff written by Steve Lundy, which they have graciously offered to share with AvoidaClaim readers. As professionals and staff adopt the recently implemented remote working arrangement to reduce the risk associated with COVID-19, it is important to understand that this increases… Read More »
Categories: Fraud PreventionNew variation of the bad cheque fraud: Dog bite cases
[First posted May 2019. Updated January 2020] Several lawyers have notified us of a new variation on the old bad cheque debt collection scam. This scenario involves a dog bite, and the promise of an insurer to pay a settlement for medical expenses. It even comes with gruesome dog bite photos that were apparently taken… Read More »
Categories: Fraud PreventionFraud for Shelter Update
With housing prices on the rise, more rigorous mortgage rules, and the resulting difficulty for some Ontarians to purchase property, real estate lawyers should be mindful of fraud for shelter. Fraud for shelter differs from traditional real estate frauds. Usually in a real estate fraud, the goal is to fraudulently sell the property or to… Read More »
Categories: Real Estate, Fraud PreventionWindows 7 support coming to an end in January
Windows 7 was one of the most popular Windows operating systems, and many users (including law firms) would be content to keep using it and put off upgrading. However, Microsoft has announced that support for Windows 7 will end as of January 14, 2020. That means no more updates, including security updates. So while computers… Read More »
Categories: Fraud Prevention, Legal Technology, TechnologyFraud warning from the Law Society of BC regarding fake client payment instructions
The following is from an August 6, 2019 warning from the Law Society of BC. Similar attempts to divert funds have been reported in Ontario as well. Fraudsters continue to target BC lawyers “If you are about to pay out trust funds and your client’s payment instructions change, stop and ensure that the change is… Read More »
Categories: Fraud PreventionBeware email with CONVEYANCE ASSISTANCE NEEDED that has malware attached
An Ontario lawyer reported getting the following email. After replying to it, another email was received that included a pdf document that supposedly had the details of the real estate transaction. In reality the pdf contains only a link to what appears to be a Microsoft OneDrive account, but is actually a link that contains… Read More »
Categories: Fraud PreventionLaw Society of Alberta fraud warning about “GSKS Law Firm”
The Law Society of Alberta has received a report about a business, “GSKS Law Firm”, purporting to be a law firm. The business operates a website at http://gskslaw.com. The individuals associated with the business are falsely holding themselves out as members of the Law Society of Alberta and are reaching out to individuals to offer… Read More »
Categories: Fraud Prevention