Alerts
Warning: Emails misusing the details of Morrisons Solicitors LLP
9 September 2021
Emails misusing the details of Morrisons Solicitors LLP and Jonathan Jacobs, regarding a supposedly unclaimed inheritance.
What is the scam?
An individual has received an email regarding a supposedly unclaimed inheritance, which falsely claims to be from 'Jonathan Jacobs' of 'Morrisons Solicitors, PLLC'.
The email seen by the SRA asks the recipient to agree to a letter being sent to a financial institution, to claim they are the next of kin of a supposedly deceased individual.
The email misused the genuine office address of a genuine firm (see below) but was sent from the email address 'Jonathan.Jacobs1@outlook.com' and provided the contact number '+447418349001'.
Any business or transactions through the email address or phone number above, are not undertaken by a firm or 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 Morrisons Solicitors LLP (which also trades as Wheelers Solicitors and Harrops and Hepburn). Their head office address is Prospero, 73 London Road, Redhill, Surrey RH1 1LQ.
The SRA also authorises and regulates a genuine solicitor called Jonathan Jacobs who is a partner at the genuine firm of Morrisons Solicitors LLP.
Both the genuine firm of Morrisons Solicitors LLP and the genuine individual, Jonathan Jacobs, have confirmed that they have no connection to the email referred to in the above alert.
The SRA also authorises and regulates another genuine solicitor called Jonathan Jacobs, who works for a different firm and is not believed to be connected 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.
Related SRA scam alerts
More information
Update 14 December 2021
The SRA has been informed that further emails have been sent to individuals involving the same scam details as above, but being sent from the email address 'jacobsfirm155@gmail.com'. Any business or transaction through this email address is not undertaken by a solicitors’ practice authorised and regulated by the SRA.
Update 17 February 2022
The SRA has been informed that further emails have been sent to individuals involving the same scam details as above, but being sent from the email address 'jacobsfirm224@gmail.com'. Any business or transaction through this email address is not undertaken by a solicitors’ practice authorised and regulated by the SRA.