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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 debt collection scam using the names Simon Foteck Fonji and Tomiko Holdings

by FraudInfo

Firms in Florida and California notified us that they received an email from the purported Simon Foteck Fonji of Tomiko Holdings looking to retain them with regards to a commercial debt collection. This is a classic bad cheque scam that presents as legal matter requiring the assistance of a lawyer. In this scam lawyers will… Read More »

Categories: Debt Collection Fraud

Commercial debt collection scam using the names Toshihiko Nunokawa and Toko Electrical Construction

by FraudInfo

An Ontario firm notified us that they received an email from the purported Toshihiko Nunokawa of Toko Electrical Construction looking to retain them with regards to a commercial debt collection. This is a classic bad cheque scam that presents as legal matter requiring the assistance of a lawyer. In this scam lawyers will be duped… Read More »

Categories: Debt Collection Fraud

Separation agreement scam using the name Annuska Eito-Eiichi

by FraudInfo

We were bcc’d on an email from the purported Annuska Eito-Eiichi looking to retain a lawyer with regard to collecting overdue payments resulting from a separation agreement. This is a classic bad cheque scam that presents as legal matter requiring the assistance of a lawyer. In this scam lawyers will be duped into wiring real funds from their trust… Read More »

Categories: Divorce Settlement Fraud

Copyright infringement scam by Eizo Kobayashi of Itochu Corporation

by FraudInfo

Two Ontario firms reported to us that they’ve been contacted by the purported Eizo Kobayashi of Itochu Corporation with regards to a copyright infringement matter. We do not yet have sufficient details to report on the nature of the scheme, but the initial correspondence (see below) has some characteristics consistent with fraud. Frauds of this… Read More »

Categories: Intellectual Property Rights 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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