Alerts
Warning: Emails falsely claiming to be from Sarah Seed of Mills & Reeve LLP
29 July 2024
Emails have been sent falsely claiming to be from Sarah Seed of Mills & Reeve LLP in relation to supposed unpaid invoices.
What is the scam?
The SRA has been informed that emails have been sent to individuals claiming to be from Sarah Seed, Partner at Mills & Reeve LLP. The emails misuse the name of a genuine solicitor and name, logo, and head office address of a genuine firm of solicitors (see below).
The emails enquire as to the status of outstanding invoices and were sent from the following addresses:
- seed@accountsadm.onmicrosoft.com
- seed.millsreeve@accountsadv.onmicrosoft.com
- sarah_seed@accountsadm.onmicrosoft.com
- sseed@accountsadv.onmicrosoft.com
None of these email addresses belong to the genuine firm or genuine solicitor.
Any business or transaction through the above email addresses 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 Mills & Reeve LLP. Its genuine head office address is 8th Floor, 24 King William Street, London, EC4R 9AT.
The SRA authorises and regulates a genuine solicitor called Sarah Seed, a Partner at Mills & Reeve LLP. She can be contacted by email at info@mills-reeve.com.
Mills & Reeve LLP has confirmed that neither it nor Sarah Seed have any connection to the emails 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.