Alerts
Warning: An email has been sent misusing the name Steve Ellis of Cripps LLP
23 June 2021
An email has been sent to a member of the public falsely claiming to be from Steve Ellis of Cripps LLP.
What is the scam?
An email has been sent to a member of the public falsely claiming to be from Steve Ellis of Cripps LLP.
The email seen by the SRA falsely appears as if sent from the genuine email address of 'steve.ellis@crippspg.co.uk', but is set to try and divert replies to 'steve.ellis@crippsgp.co.uk' in a likely attempt to divert funds (note the changed order of the 'p' and the 'g' in the domain name).
Any business or transactions through or using the email address 'steve.ellis@crippsgp.co.uk' (or any email address ending ‘@crippsgp.co.uk’) are not undertaken by a solicitors practice authorised and regulated by the SRA or by an individual authorised and regulated by the SRA.
Is there a genuine firm or person?
The SRA authorises and regulates a genuine firm of solicitors called Cripps LLP. The genuine firm uses email addresses that end with the domain names '@crippspg.co.uk' or '@cripps.co.uk'.
The SRA also authorises and regulates a genuine solicitor called Steven Ellis who is employed at the genuine firm of Cripps LLP, and whose genuine email addresses are steve.ellis@cripps.co.uk and steve.ellis@crippspg.co.uk.
The genuine firm of Cripps LLP has confirmed that neither it nor the genuine solicitor, Steve Ellis, have any intended connection to the emails referred to 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.