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Warning: Website called 'Bennetts & Co Solicitors' claiming to be a law firm

22 May 2023

A website operating at 'www.bennettsandco.co.uk' is claiming to be law firm.

What is the scam?

The website at 'www.bennettsandco.co.uk' is claiming to be a law firm specialising in defending motoring offence proceedings.

The website provides an email address of 'info@bennettsandco.co.uk' and a telephone number of '02080404317'.

The SRA has been informed that a member of the public was contacted via WhatsApp using a number of '44 7405 796229'. A contact name of 'Mr Kolkanat' was provided claiming to be a solicitor who would represent him in motoring offence proceedings. A request for payment was made and bank account details in the name of 'Kolkanat B&C' was also provided to receive payment.

The website appears to be a cloned website of a genuine firm of solicitors and misuses the SRA ID for a genuine firm (see below).

The SRA does not authorise and regulate a solicitor in the name ‘Kolkanat’, or a firm of solicitors called 'Bennetts & Co Solicitors' (see below genuine firms with similar names).

Any business or transaction through the website 'www.bennettsandco.co.uk' is not undertaken by a firm 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 Hadi Law Limited. The SRA ID is 565572. The website is at https://hadilaw.com/. The telephone number is 01722 447000 and the email domain ends with @hadilaw.com.

The SRA also authorises and regulates genuine firm of solicitors called:

  • Bennett & Co (SRA ID 46929)
  • Bennett & Co Defence Solicitors Ltd (SRA ID 8002954)
  • Chris Bennett & Co LLP trading as Bennett & Co Solicitors (SRA ID 597786)

The SRA previously authorised and regulated firms of solicitors called:

  • Bennett & Co (SRA ID 70907) which ceased trading on 27 March 2008
  • Bennetts (SRA ID 75759) which ceased trading on 31 December 1997

Hadi Law Limited, Bennett & Co, Bennett & Co Defence Solicitors Ltd and Chris Bennett & Co LLP have confirmed they do not have any connection to 'Kolkanat' or 'Bennetts & Co Solicitors'.

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.

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