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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

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Recent Fraud Warnings

Commercial equipment purchase scam using the names Lia Nelson and Cruise International

by FraudInfo

A Washington state firm notified us that they received an email from the purported Lia Nelson of Cruise International looking to retain them with regards to making a large commercial purchase. This is a bad cheque scam that presents as legal matter requiring the assistance of a lawyer. In this scam lawyers will be duped… Read More »

Categories: Equipment / Inventory Purchase Fraud

Commercial equipment purchase scam using the names Piet Haerens and International Marine & Dredging Consultants

by FraudInfo

Firms in Ontario and North Carolina notified us that they received an email from the purported Piet Haerens of International Marine & Dredging Consultants looking to retain them with regards to making a large commercial purchase. This is a bad cheque scam that presents as legal matter requiring the assistance of a lawyer. In this… Read More »

Categories: Equipment / Inventory Purchase Fraud

Breach of copyright agreement scam using the names Tomoyuki Iwahashi and Shinchosha Publishing

by FraudInfo

An Ontario firm reported to us that they’ve been contacted by the purported Tomoyuki Iwahashi of Shinchosha Publishing with regards to retaining their services to collect on a breach of a copyright agreement. This is a classic bad cheque scam that presents as legal matter requiring the assistance of a lawyer. In this scam lawyers… Read More »

Categories: Intellectual Property Rights Fraud

Communications breakdowns: When a lawyer doesn’t share

by FraudInfo

In 2014 the broad category of communications accounted for about almost a third of claims reported and claims costs. We asked some lawyers to give their opinions on the various ways lawyer-client communications can break down, such as when lawyers fail to share information. After getting some work done on his cottage, Dale Orlando, partner… 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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