Alerts
Warning: Emails and telephone calls misusing the name of Marcus George claiming to be from the Solicitors Regulation Authority
10 August 2022
Emails and telephone calls have been sent and made to members of the public falsely claiming to be from 'Marcus George, Financial Services Solicitor' at the 'Solicitors Regulation Authority'.
What is the scam?
The SRA has been informed that emails have been sent to members of the public falsely claiming to be from 'Marcus George' (see below) who refers to himself as a 'Financial Services Solicitor' at the 'Solicitors Regulation Authority'.
The emails seen by the SRA advise the recipients that the 'Solicitors Regulation Authority' plays a 'dual role in tackling financial crime'. The recipient is then given information about how to begin a 'recovery process' if they have been victim to a fraud.
The emails seen by the SRA appear to be from the email address 'georgemarcus72@outlook.com' and provide a telephone number of '+447534097949'. The SRA understands that another telephone number of '441159985322' has also been provided in one email.
The SRA has also been advised that some of the emails claim to be able to assist with a 'cryptocurrency wallet retrieval'.
The emails misuse the name and SRA number for a genuine solicitor (see below) and provide a link to that genuine solicitor's details on the SRA Register.
The SRA has also been advised that telephone calls have also been made by 'Marcus George'. We understand that the recipient of one of the calls was asked to provide bank details.
Any business or transaction through the above email address and telephone numbers is not undertaken by an individual or firm of solicitors authorised and regulated by the SRA.
Is there a genuine firm or person?
The SRA authorises and regulates a genuine solicitor called Marcus George whose SRA ID is 589301. The genuine Marcus George has confirmed he has no connection to the emails and telephone calls referred to in the above alert.
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) do not employ a solicitor called Marcus George.
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.
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