Alerts

Warning: Emails claiming to be from John Geoffrey of John Chambers Ltd

24 June 2021

Emails have been sent claiming to be from 'John Geoffrey' of 'John Chambers Ltd', regarding a supposed inheritance.

What is the scam?

An email has been sent to a member of the public from the email address 'mianbaber723@gmail.com', claiming to be from a London based lawyer called 'John Geoffrey'.  The email was regarding a supposed inheritance.  The email exchange then developed, with 'John Geoffrey' using the email address 'info@johnchambersltduk.com'.

An associated website is operating from 'www.johnchambersltduk.com', which purports to be for a law firm called John Chambers Ltd that is 'the law offices of John Geoffrey, Esq'.  The website states it is a 'law firm focused on UK Immigration & family law' and claims the firm has a team of barristers, solicitors and arbitrators. A phone number of +44 1423 205300 and a contact email address of 'info@johnchambersltduk.com' are provided by the website.

The SRA does not authorise and regulate a firm of solicitors called John Chambers Ltd or an individual solicitor by the name of 'John Geoffrey'.

Any business or transactions through the web domain 'johnchambersltduk.com' or the telephone number or email addresses above, are not undertaken by a solicitor's practice or an individual authorised and regulated by the SRA.

Is there a genuine firm or person?

The SRA does authorise and regulate a genuine solicitor called John Chambers, who is not believed to have any connection to the issues set out in the above alert.

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.