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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

Commercial equipment purchase scam using the names Smith Marino and Astronomic Engineering

by FraudInfo

Firms in California and Michigan have notified us that they received an email from the purported Smith Marino of Astronomic Engineering looking to retain them with regards to making a large commercial purchase. This appears to be a bad cheque scam that presents as legal matter requiring the assistance of a lawyer. In this scam… Read More »

Categories: Equipment / Inventory Purchase Fraud

Commercial equipment purchase scam using the name Walter Long (or Peterson) and Universal Machinery

by FraudInfo

Two Maine firms have notified us that they received an email from the purported Walter Long (or Peterson) and Universal Machinery looking to retain them with regards to making a large commercial purchase. (There is a real company being impersonated here. The websites www.dredgesbroker.com and www.universalmachineryandequipments.com mirror the real site, except that the contact information… Read More »

Categories: Equipment / Inventory Purchase Fraud

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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