Alerts
Warning: Emails misusing the name of Chamberlain Martin Solicitors
10 May 2021
Correspondence has been sent misusing the names of employees at Chamberlain Martin Solicitors.
What is the scam?
Emails have been sent to members of the public falsely claiming to be from employees of Chamberlain Martin Solicitors. The emails invite the recipients to click on a link to access a file. A concern is that the link may contain malware if opened and it should not be accessed.
The emails appear to have been sent from the following email addresses: 'susan.rutherford@chamberlianmartin.com' and 'cheryl.hearn@chamberlianmartin.com' (see below for the genuine domain name of the genuine firm and note that, in the bogus email addresses, the 'i' and the 'a' appear the other way round.)
The telephone numbers quoted in the emails are 01709 246088 and 01904 911050.
Any business or transactions through the above email addresses or telephone numbers are not undertaken by a solicitor's 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 Chamberlain Martin Solicitors, whose head office is at 40 Sudley Road, Bognor Regis, PO21 1ES. The genuine firm's email domain is @chamberlainmartin.com and their genuine telephone number is 01243 825211.
The genuine firm of Chamberlain Martin Solicitors does employ a person by the name of Susan Rutherford. She is a genuine solicitor and a partner at the firm. Her email address ends with the domain name: @chamberlainmartin.com.
The genuine firm of Chamberlain Martin Solicitors also employs a person by the name of Cheryl Hearn. She is a conveyancing assistant at the firm and her email address also ends with the domain name '@chamberlainmartin.com'.
The genuine firm have confirmed that neither it or Susan Rutherford and Cheryl Hearn have any connection to the emails referred to in the alert above.
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.