Alerts
Warning: Correspondence misusing the name of Harrison Drury
3 February 2023
Correspondence was sent by someone falsely purporting to be 'Harrison Drury' in respect of monies left in an estate.
What is the scam?
The SRA has been informed that a member of the public received email correspondence from an individual falsely claiming to be 'Harrison Drury' from 'Preston Bar Defense'.
The email seen by the SRA misuses a name which matches that of a genuine firm (see below). The email is signed by 'Harrison Drury' from 'Preston Bar Defense' who claims to be a lawyer with 'Harrison Solicitors LLP' in London, although giving a postal address in Lancashire.The email identifies the recipient as a beneficiary of an estate and asks the recipient to confirm whether they would like to recover the assets from the bank. The email correspondence appears to be sent from two email addresses 'druryharrison38@gmail.com' and 'harrisonndrury@outlook.com'.
The SRA does not authorise and regulate a firm called 'Preston Bar Defense' nor does the SRA authorise and regulate an individual called 'Harrison Drury' or a firm called 'Harrison Solicitors LLP' in London (see below).
Any business or transaction through 'Harrison Drury' and through email addresses 'druryharrison38@gmail.com' and 'harrisonndrury@outlook.com' are not undertaken by a solicitors' practice or individual authorised and regulated by the SRA.
Is there a genuine firm or person?
The SRA authorises and regulates a genuine firm of solicitors called Harrison Drury & Co Ltd. Its genuine head office address is 1a Chapel Street, Preston, PR1 8BU.
The genuine firm Harrison Drury & Co Ltd does not have an employee called 'Harrison Drury' and has confirmed that the firm does not have any connection to the emails referred to in the above alert.
The SRA also authorises and regulates a genuine firm called Harrisons Solicitors LLP and its genuine head office address is 30 Broad Street, Welshpool, SY21 7RR, Wales.
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.