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Lawyer Fraud — Don’t Be Fooled!

To help Ontario lawyers avoid malpractice claims, LAWPRO maintains a list of names used in frauds that target lawyers. These frauds masquerade as legitimate legal matters and they target lawyers in many areas of practice. They are usually built on the premise of the lawyer receiving a payment (e.g. a debt collection, a loan or equipment purchase), which comes in the form of a fake cheque or bank draft. The fraudster client then convinces the lawyer to disburse funds from his or her trust account. They can be very sophisticated and the documents provided can look like the documents you would get on a legitimate matter.

The Law Society of BC’s Lawyer Indemnity Fund also maintains a list of names associated with suspected frauds.

If you have been the target of a fraud, you are invited to report the details to us so that we may assist other lawyers avoid being victimized.

Have a fraud to report? See Report a Fraud.

Report a Fraud

Browse Fraud Categories

Recent Fraud Warnings

Equipment purchase scam using the names Valery Konyushenko and Mazarine Energy B.V.

by FraudInfo

Lawyers in Ontario and the U.S. have notified us that they received an email from the purported Valery Konyushenko of Mazarine Energy B.V. looking to retain them with regards to making a large commercial purchase. This appears to be a bad cheque scam (with a real company likely being impersonated) that presents as legal matter… Read More »

Categories: Equipment / Inventory Purchase Fraud

Equipment purchase scam using the names Stan Walters and ABI Equipment Limited

by Tim Lemieux

Lawyers in Ontario and the U.S. have notified us that they received an email from the purported Stan Walters of ABI Equipment Limited looking to retain them with regards to making a large commercial purchase. This appears to be a bad cheque scam (with a real company likely being impersonated) that presents as legal matter… Read More »

Categories: Equipment / Inventory Purchase Fraud

Debt collection fraud using the name Shin Okura

by FraudInfo

Two Ontario firms have notified us that they received an email from the purported Shin Okura of Sumitronics Electronics looking to retain them with regards to a commercial debt collection. This appears to be a bad cheque scam that presents as legal matter (with a real company likely being impersonated) requiring the assistance of a… Read More »

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Land Acknowledgement

The offices of LAWPRO are located on the traditional territory of many nations including the Mississaugas of the Credit, Anishnabeg, Chippewa, Haudenosaunee and Wendat peoples. Toronto is covered by Treaty 13 with the Mississaugas of the Credit. LAWPRO respects and acknowledges the histories, languages, knowledge systems, and cultures of First Nations, Metis, and Inuit nations.

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