Alerts

Warning: Emails misusing the name of Clowes & Co LLP

20 December 2022

Emails have been sent misusing the name of Sarah Clowes of Clowes & Co LLP in relation to a supposed property transaction.

What is the scam?

The SRA has been informed that emails have been sent to various individuals falsely claiming to be from 'Sarah Clowes' of 'Clowes & Co LLP'. The emails contained a Google drive link providing a supposed contract bundle for a property.

The email seen by the SRA advises the recipient that CLOWES & CO SOLICITORS' shared a file and requests the recipient to open the file. The concern is that the attachment link may request the recipient to provide confidential information or contain malware.

The email seen by the SRA was sent using an email address of 'Sarah@clowessolicitors.com'.

Any business or transactions undertaken through the email address 'Sarah@clowessolicitors.com' is 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 Clowes & Co LLP. The firm's genuine email domain ends with '@clowessolicitors.co.uk'. Its genuine telephone number is 01782 444204 and its genuine fax number is 01782 432643.

The SRA authorises and regulates a genuine solicitor called Sarah Clowes who is a member of Clowes & Co LLP. Her genuine email is 'sarah@clowessolicitors.co.uk'.

The genuine Clowes & Co LLP and Sarah Clowes have confirmed that they do not have any connection to the email 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 (eg. telephone directories and company records) may be required in other circumstances.