Alerts

Warning: Correspondence claiming to be from “AR Wilkin & Co LLP” (and an associated website)

21 July 2021

Correspondence has been sent claiming to be from “Davis Pickering QC of “AR Wilkin & Co LLP”. A false website has also been created.

What is the scam?

An email has been sent from an individual called “Davis Pickering” claiming to be a senior lawyer at “AR Wilkin & Co LLP”.  The email informs the recipient that they are entitled to an abandoned fund.  The email addresses used were “mail@sf-notifications.com” and “davis.pickering11@gmail.com”. A postal address is also provided of “262-266 Lavender Hill, Battersea, London, SW11 1L”.

The following website is also operating: “https://arwilkinsllp.com/”.  The website claims to employ Robert Lemon, Neil Baines, Rachel Grant (please see below), “Gary Niven”, “Rose Bissonette”, and “Davis Pickering”. The website provides the following contact details: “info@arwilkinsllp.com”, “press@arwilkinsllp.com” and a telephone number of “+44 (0) 20 8144 4053.

Any business or transaction through “AR Wilkin & Co LLP” is not undertaken by a solicitor’s practice or by an individual authorised and regulated by the SRA.

Is there a genuine firm or person?

The SRA authorised and regulated “A R Wilkin & Co” which ceased trading on 17 October 1991. The genuine address for the firm was 152 Battersea High Street, London, SW11 3JR.

The SRA does authorise and regulate Robert Lemon, Neil Baines and Rachel Grant who are all believed to have no connection with the website and email.

The SRA does not authorise or regulate any individuals called Gary Niven, Rose Bissonette, or Davis Pickering.

What should I do?

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.