Alerts

Warning: Correspondence from 'Osbourne Clarke Consultancy and O.C.A Consultancy Limited'

21 December 2022

Correspondence sent from 'Osbourne Clarke Consultancy' attaching an invoice and a receipt.

What is the scam?

Emails have been sent to a member of the public from 'Osbourne Clarke Consultancy' attaching an invoice and a receipt from O.C.A Consultancy Limited.

The invoice seen by the SRA is for 'payment for work outlined in contract' and gives a telephone number of '+44 20 3149 4879' and an email address of 'info@osbourneclarkeconsultancy.co.uk'.    

The SRA has also seen a 'payment receipt' that provides the address of '71-75 Shelton Street, Covent Garden, London, United Kingdom, WC2H 9JQ' and a logo for 'O.C.A Consultancy.'

The emails were sent from the email addresses of 'receipts+acct_1LhbcyDMx3bSfTDB@stripe.com' and 'info@osbourneclarkeconsultancy.co.uk.'

The SRA does not authorise or regulate a firm of solicitors called 'Osbourne Clarke Consultancy' or 'O.C.A Consultancy Limited.'

Any business or transactions through 'Osbourne Clarke Consultancy', 'O.C.A Consultancy Limited', the email addresses of 'info@osbourneclarkeconsultancy.co.uk.' and 'receipts+acct_1LhbcyDMx3bSfTDB@stripe.com', and the telephone number '+44 20 3149 4879' are not undertaken by a solicitors' practice or individual authorised and regulated by the SRA.

Is there a genuine firm or person?

The SRA authorises and regulates a genuine firm called Osborne Clarke LLP whose head office is based at 1 London Wall, London, London, EC2Y 5EB, England.

The email domain for Osborne Clarke LLP ends in '@osborneclarke.com.'

The genuine firm of Osborne Clarke LLP has confirmed that it has no connection to 'Osbourne Clarke Consultancy' or the correspondence 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.