Alerts

Warning: Emails have been sent misusing the name of 'Victor Fenwick'

12 October 2021

Emails have been sent falsely claiming to be from 'Victor Fenwick' at 'HFW- Holman Fenwick Willan LLP'

What is the scam?

Emails have been sent misusing the name of Mr Victor Fenwick from the address: hfw@hfw-uk.com.

The email seen by the SRA contains a subject line 'Demo Candidate - SMERALDO (Stainless Steel Chemical Tanker)'

The email signature misuses the name,; address, telephone number, and website for the genuine firm (see below)

Any business or transaction through 'hfw@hfw-uk.com' are not undertaken by a solicitor's firm or a solicitor authorised and regulated by the SRA.

Is there a genuine firm or person?

The SRA authorises and regulates a genuine firm of solicitors called Holman Fenwick Willan LLP. The office address for the firm is Friary Court, 65 Crutched Friars, London, EC3N 2AE, its genuine telephone number is 02072648000 and its website address is 'https://www.hfw.com/Home'. The firm's genuine email addresses end with the domain name is '@hfw.com'.

The firm has confirmed that Mr Victor Fenwick is a Legal Director at Holman Fenwick Willan LLP.

The firm has also confirmed that it has no connection to the emails referred to in the scam 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.