Alerts
Warning: Email misusing the name of 'Holman Fenwick Willan LLP'
4 July 2022
An email has been sent falsely claiming to be from Holman Fenwick Willan LLP in relation to a supposed foreign investment.
What is the scam?
The SRA has been advised that an email has been sent to a member of the public claiming to be from 'Fraud Department Holman Fenwick Willan' in relation to a supposed foreign investment. The email states that there are blocked funds in a closed company account.
The email was sent using an email address of 'holman.department@zohomail.eu' and provides a telephone number of '+44 (0)7853265215’ and fax number of '+44 (0)20 7264 1888'.
The email also misuses the name and postal address of a genuine firm of solicitors (see below).
Any business or transactions through the email address 'holman.department@zohomail.eu'. is not undertaken by a solicitors' practice or an individual authorised or regulated by the SRA.
Is there a genuine firm or person?
The SRA authorises and regulates a genuine firm of solicitors called Holman Fenwick Willan LLP. The postal address is Friary Court 65 Crutched Friars London EC3N 2AE. The telephone number is 02072648000 and the fax number is 02072648888. The firm genuine emails end with the domain name '@hfw.com'.
The genuine firm Holman Fenwick Willan LLP confirmed it does 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 (e.g. telephone directories and company records) may be required in other circumstances.