Mitigating the Risk of Cyber Fraud

Conveyancers are a prime target for cyber criminals as they regularly deal with such significant sums of money. Between March 2020 and March 2021, the SRA reported 147% increase in cyber attacks on law firms when comparing the first 3 months of 2020 to the first three months of 2021. The repercussions of cyber attackers […]
Free Fraud and Cyber-Crime Prevention Webinar

poweredbypie, a Dye & Durham company working together with Lawyer Checker, is inviting conveyancers to a free fraud and cyber-crime prevention webinar to be held on 22 July 2021 at 11am. For further information or to register please see: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/4575261812902315790 Tom Lyes Director of Engagement, Lawyer Checker confirms: “Cyber-crime is a growing issue for conveyancers […]
Solicitors fined over failure to prevent £3.3m conveyancing fraud

Two directors of the firm Mayland Porter have been fined £10,000 and £5,001 respectively, after failing to adequately oversee the activities of a bogus solicitor alleged to have carried out £3.3m in property fraud. The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) fined Darren Fazackerley and Meenan Goyal in relation to conveyancing frauds taking place in the London […]
Firms fined for AML failures

The Solicitors Regulation Authority has fined six firms as it continues to clamp down on anti-money laundering non-compliance. The firms were fined £800 and ordered to pay costs of £600 after they took over a year to demonstrate they had taken steps to comply with new regulations introduced in 2020. The fine follows previous sanctions, […]
Stamp Duty is on holiday, Money Laundering is not

This article has been written by Nikki Shorto a newly qualified CLC Licensed Conveyancer based in Bournemouth, Dorset. We are all experiencing the pull of the never-ending volume of work to do at the moment, and doing our best to line up as many completions as we can to help our clients enjoy a Stamp […]
Conveyancers beware as data stolen from listed law firm

Cyber crime hit the headlines again last week as listed city firm Gateley reported client data had been stolen during an attack on its IT network. A statement to the London Stock Exchange on 16th June confirmed that the firm was managing an incident in which its IT system had been breached and client data […]
Property professionals invited to try new ‘Safe Harbour’ ID Check for free

tmgroup, the leading provider of property searches and data, are excited to announce that they can now support their clients in meeting HM Land Registry’s Digital ID Standard (Safe Harbour) – thanks to their partnership with Thirdfort and the launch of a new ID check, which incorporates Government-grade security. Try the new Thirdfort Standard ID […]
Cyber Security spend on the rise as it becomes more important than ever

Since the pandemic and the rise of people working from home, cyber criminals have had to adapt to their new environment prior to launching a cyber attack. The UK Government estimates that the cost of cyber crime is £27bn a year. The latest data released in the Hiscox Cyber Readiness Report shows that organisations are […]
Would the Digital ID framework alter the way fraudsters behave?

The home buying and selling process will always be a lucrative prize for fraudsters because their pay out is huge. It seems to be a frequent occurrence in the news that a fraudster has made off with a buyer’s money, with a recent example of two homeowners picking up the pieces after losing £800,000 following […]
New tool to help firms achieve Cyber Essentials accreditation

The coronavirus pandemic has changed the way cyber criminals target those they want to exploit. With this in mind, the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has launched the Cyber Essentials Readiness Tool which helps firms prepare themselves for Cyber Essentials certification. The tool has been developed by IASME and asks firms a series of questions […]
Moving to a hybrid workplace

Join us for the legal services event aimed at preparing law firms for the relaxing of lockdown restrictions in the UK. The time has come to embrace a hybrid working model and set your partners and fee earners up for success. Date & Time: 25/05/2021, 10am (duration 2 hrs incl. Q&A) The UK Government has […]
CLC launches cyber insurance consultation

The Council for Licensed Conveyancers (CLC).has launched a consultation aimed at clarifying the extent to which cyber-related losses are covered by professional indemnity insurance (PII). The six-week consultation is in response to directions from both the Prudential Regulation Authority and Lloyd’s of London to manage ‘silent’ risk by being explicit on whether coverage is provided […]
Data Innovation Driving Source of Funds

In January 2021 The Legal Sector Advisory Group on anti-money laundering (LSAG) updated its guidance on how law firms should be dealing with the increasing risk of money laundering. Conveyancing continues to be a focus for criminal activity, enabling criminal organisations to filter illegal funds through the sale and purchase of property. One of the […]
Property Lawyers Convey Law working with the Government to prevent crime

Property Lawyers Convey Law can now check information provided by clients against information held by the government to help verify someone’s identity at the start of a property transaction. This is the first such integration with a legal practice in the UK. The Document Checking Service (DCS) pilot is a government initiative designed to offer organisations […]
Your views wanted on cyber loss insurance clause

The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) are calling for professionals in the legal sector to give their feedback on a clause which covers for cyber losses explicit in the minimum terms and conditions (MTC) of professional indemnity insurance (PII) policies. On the SRA’s website it states: We are consulting on a proposal to make a change […]
Homeowners pick up the pieces of £800k fraud

A fraudster has secured hundreds of thousands of pounds of illegal funds by cloning the identity of an unsuspecting homeowner and obtaining credit against their identity. Posing as the homeowner of a property for sale, the sophisticated fraud secured an £800,000 mortgage against the property which was advanced to a bank account which had been […]
British Conveyancing Awards Sponsor Spotlight: inCase

In a series of Spotlight pieces, we are thrilled to introduce our supporters of The British Conveyancing Awards 2021 Alongside headline sponsor Lawyer Checker, we look forward to recognising individuals, teams and companies who have gone above and beyond to support buyers and sellers to move home during the most challenging year the conveyancing industry has perhaps […]
Training Academy to help lawyers of the future

The Academy, is a new training facility launched by Simply Conveyancing providing academic and theoretical training for aspiring lawyers. The six month comprehensive training programme and accelerated career pathway has been carefully designed to support Simply colleagues in their journey to become qualified Conveyancers. Through a mix of class-room and on the job training, Academy […]
Spotlight on Lawyer Checker, headline sponsor at the British Conveyancing Awards

This year, we want to do something a little different and celebrate the herculean efforts made by the conveyancing sector who worked tirelessly to ensure the British public could still move during the most difficult year. The event is set to run on Tuesday 25th May 2021 and will be hosted by the multi-award winning broadcaster and […]
Advisor fined for ‘deliberate’ SDLT avoidance

It has been reported in a national newspaper that, David Hannah, founder of Cornerstone tax has lost his appeal against a first tier tribunal verdict and now faces disciplinary action following the failure to pay tens of thousands of pounds on stamp duty following the purchase of his home. The Times reported that Mr Hannah, […]