Alerts

Warning: Emails claiming to be from 'CMS LLP' and 'CMS LLP London'

21 July 2023

Emails have been sent falsely claiming to be from Grégory Benteux of 'CMS LLP' and 'CMS LLP London'.

What is the scam?

The SRA has been advised that emails have been sent to members of the public claiming to be from Grégory Benteux (see below) of 'CMS LLP' and 'CMS LLP London', offering the receiver legal assistance with their Bitcoin wallet and the recovery of any losses.

The emails were sent from the email addresses 'gregorybenteux@hotmail.com' and 'gregorybenteux@cmsllplondon.co.uk'. Any business or transactions through these email address 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 CMS Cameron McKenna Nabarro Olswang LLP whose head office address is Cannon Place, 78 Cannon Street, London, EC4N 6AF and telephone number is '0207 367 3000'. The firm's genuine email domain ends with '@cms-cmno.com' and the genuine website for the firm is 'www.cms.law'.

The SRA does not authorise and regulate a genuine solicitor called Grégory Benteux, although it is understood he is a French 'Associé' at CMS Francis Lefebvre, which is part of CMS Cameron McKenna Nabarro Olswang LLP.

Both the genuine firm of CMS Cameron Mckenna Nabarro Olswang LLP and the genuine Grégory Benteux have confirmed that they have no genuine connection to the emails referred to 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 (eg. telephone directories and company records) may be required in other circumstances.