Alerts

Warning: Emails misusing the name of John Lewis of Law Anglo T Legal Chambers

27 April 2023

Emails have been sent to a member of the public purporting to be from 'Barrister John Lewis' of 'Law Anglo T Legal Chambers' and 'Law Anglo Thai Legal Chambers'.

What is the scam?

The SRA has seen emails sent to a member of the public falsely claiming to be from 'Barrister John Lewis' and 'Barr. John Lewis' of 'Law Anglo T Legal Chambers' and 'Law Anglo Thai Legal Chambers' in relation to a supposed inheritance and money claim.

The email address frequently used to send the emails was 'lawanglotlegal.chambers@gmail.com'.

Any business or transaction through the email address of 'lawanglotlegal.chambers@gmail.com' or through an individual claiming to be a solicitor and barrister called 'John Lewis' of this entity is not undertaken by a firm or individual authorised and regulated by the SRA.

Is there a genuine firm or person?

The SRA previously authorised and regulated a genuine firm of solicitors called Anglo-Thai Legal Company Limited but this ceased trading in December 2019.

The former director John Lewis is authorised and regulated by the SRA under SRA ID 337822.

The genuine John Lewis has confirmed that he has no connection to the email address 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 (eg. telephone directories and company records) may be required in other circumstances.