The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) are warning its members of another high profile email conveyancing scam that is currently targeting a number of conveyancing firms.
A number of solicitors have been sent an email claiming to be from SRA regulated law firm, Percy Short & Cuthbert.
The email’s content convincingly references a revision to a proposed completion statement. The email purports that the Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) amount has been included along with an appointment time and date for signing vital documents.
The email’s call to action instructs the email recipient to open the attachment and review the documentation.
Whilst this is all vital and important information, the email is not genuine. The fraudulent document uses clear and sophisticated social engineering techniques by adopting a common lexicon associated with a house moving process.
It is advised that any conveyancers who receive an email from this firm should avoid opening any link as it may contain malware that could expose your firm to severe vulnerabilities.
The SRA have confirmed that they authorise and regulate a genuine firm currently operating using the name Percy Short & Cuthbert Solicitors.
According the SRA security team, the email, sent by the cyber criminals, originated from Jantakan Yotaka, using the email address, juntakan.yo@cspsteel.com.
The genuine firm confirmed that it has no connection to the phishing email being sent to various conveyancers. Any communication sent by Percy Short & Cuthbert Solicitors will use the domain www.percyshort.co.uk.
The SRA advise:
“When a firm’s or individual’s identity has been copied exactly (or cloned), due diligence is necessary. If you receive correspondence claiming to be from the above firm(s) or individual(s), or information of a similar nature to that described, you should conduct your own due diligence by checking the authenticity of the correspondence by contacting the law firm directly by reliable and established means.
“You can contact the SRA to find out if individuals or firms are regulated and authorised by the SRA and verify an individual’s or firm’s practising details. Other verification methods, such as checking public records (e.g. telephone directories and company records) may be required in other circumstances.”
Have the employees within your law firm been provided with adequate phishing training to help spot the signs of email fraud? What damage could a fraud of this nature cause?
