Alerts

Warning: Email misusing the name of Matthew Saunders

12 September 2022

An email has been sent falsely claiming to be from Matthew Saunders in relation to a supposed arbitration matter.

What is the scam?

An email has been sent falsely claiming to be from Matthew Saunders in relation to a supposed arbitration conducted by ‘the LCIA’.

The emails seen by the SRA refer to a 'schedule of costs' and ask the recipients of the emails to make payments.

The emails were sent from the email address of 'af.supportoffice@proton.me’.

The email misuses the name of a genuine solicitor (see below)

Any business or transactions through the above proton.me email address are not undertaken by a solicitors' practice or an individual authorised and regulated by the SRA.

Is there a genuine firm or person?

The SRA authorises and regulates a genuine solicitor called Matthew Saunders who is a Partners at Ashurst LLP. Mr Saunders genuine email domain ends with @ashurst.com.

The genuine Matthew Saunders has confirmed he 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.