Alerts

Warning: Emails misusing the name of Walters & Barbary LLP

22 June 2022

Emails have been sent to clients falsely claiming to be from Walters & Barbary LLP requesting the transfer of funds.

What is the scam?

The SRA has been advised that emails have been sent falsely claiming to be from 'Sarah Painter' at Walters & Barbary LLP.

The emails seen by the SRA relate to conveyancing transactions and refer to the payment of monies.  One of the emails provides bank details and asks for payment to be made to that account.

Some of the emails seen by the SRA appear to have been sent from the email address 'Sarah.Painter@waltersbarbary.uk' and others appear to be sent from the email address of a genuine solicitor (see below).  The emails also misuse the email footer of a genuine firm of solicitors together with its contact details (see below).

Any business or transactions through the email address 'Sarah.Painter@waltersbarbary.uk' are 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 Walters & Barbary LLP. The firm's genuine address is Basset Chambers, 18 Basset Road, CAMBORNE, TR14 8SG. The genuine telephone number for the firm is 01209712454 and its  genuine email addresses end in the domain name '@waltersbarbary.co.uk'.

The SRA authorises and regulates a genuine individual called Sarah Painter who is employed at the genuine firm. Her genuine email address is Sarah.Painter@waltersbarbary.co.uk.

The genuine firm of Walters & Barbary LLP has confirmed that neither it, nor the genuine Sarah Painter have any genuine or intended connection to the emails referred to in the alert above.

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.