Alerts
Warning: Emails misusing the name of Goodlaw Solicitors LLP
6 October 2022
Emails have been sent falsely claiming to be from staff members at Goodlaw Solicitors LLP.
What is the scam?
The SRA has been informed that false emails have been sent, purportedly from Goodlaw Solicitors LLP, to clients and others. Some emails contained a link which the recipient was asked to click to access documents; it is suspected such links contained malware. Other emails were sent, requesting the transfer of deposit monies into bank accounts which are not those of the genuine firm.
One email seen by the SRA purports to be from Patrick Coni at patrick@goodlawsolicitors.com. This email misuses the name of a genuine solicitor and genuine firm of solicitors (see below).
Is there a genuine firm or person?
The SRA authorises and regulates a genuine firm of solicitors called Goodlaw Solicitors LLP. It uses the domain ending ‘.co.uk’ rather than ‘.com’ and can be contacted via its website: www.goodlawsolicitors.co.uk/contact-us/.
The SRA authorises and regulates a genuine solicitor called Patrick Coni, who is a solicitor at Goodlaw Solicitors LLP. His genuine email address is patrick@goodlawsolicitors.co.uk (not .com as above).
The genuine firm has confirmed that neither the firm nor any of its solicitors or other employees have any genuine 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.