Alerts
Warning: Email and telephone calls misusing the name of Philip Joseph Magowan from the 'Solicitor Regulation Authority'
4 August 2022
Email and telephone calls have been sent and made to a member of the public falsely claiming to be from 'Philip Joseph Magowan, Financial Services Solicitor' at the 'Solicitor Regulation Authority'.
What is the scam?
The SRA has been informed that an email has been sent to a member of the public falsely claiming to be from 'Philip Joseph Magowan' (see below) who refers to himself as a 'Financial Services Solicitor' at the 'Solicitor Regulation Authority'.
The email seen by the SRA advises the recipient 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 email seen by the SRA appears to be sent from the email address 'philipjmagowan@outlook.com' and provides a WhatsApp number of '+447534097949'.
It also misuses the name and SRA number for a genuine solicitor (see below) and provides a link to that genuine solicitor's details on the SRA Register.
The SRA has also been advised that telephone calls have been made from the telephone number '+441536512537', with the caller claiming to be 'investigating scammers'.
Any business or transactions 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 Philip Joseph Magowan whose SRA ID is 415342. The genuine Philip Joseph Magowan has confirmed that he has no connection to the email and telephone calls referred to in the above alert.
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) do not employ a solicitor called Philip Joseph Magowan.
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 7 November 2022
The SRA has recently been advised that the telephone number '44-736193551' and email address philipmagowan.sra@outlook.com are also now being used or provided in similar communications to those referred to above. The genuine solicitor has confirmed he also has no connection to these contact details'.