Fraud Prevention
Federation of Law Societies launches online program to combat money laundering risks
The Federation’s of Law Societys has launched an online learning program entitled “Anti-Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing in the Canadian Legal Profession”. The program is free and the Law Society of Ontario has accredited the program for 3 hours and 45 minutes of Professionalism content. From the website: “The practice of law exposes legal professionals… Read More »
Categories: Fraud Prevention, TechnologyNew variation of the bad cheque email scam referring to “Greenville Offshore Bank” in Toronto
An Ontario lawyer forwarded us what appears to be a new variation of the old bad cheque scam in which a lawyer is contacted from a client overseas to collect on a debt, divorce settlement or facilitate a large equipment purchase (see our full list of these emails here). In this version the clients claim… Read More »
Categories: Fraud PreventionPolice 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 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: Fraud Prevention, Real EstateWhat’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 Prevention