Alerts
Warning: Letter sent by 'James Smith' misusing SRA Number of Timothy Edward Wass
3 February 2025
A letter has been sent by 'James Smith' misusing the SRA Number of Timothy Wass.
What is the scam?
The SRA has seen a letter claiming to be from a 'James Smith Solicitor (SRA Number 433255)' of '1 Principal Place, London EC2A 2BA, England'. The letter misuses the SRA Number of a genuine solicitor (see below).
The letter was sent to an Australian recipient in relation to a potential defamation action against the recipient. The letter asked the recipient to remove all defamatory content from social media platforms or elsewhere online, cease and desist from further defamatory actions, compensate Bondicurls and provide a public apology. The recipient was asked to send correspondence to info@bondicurls.com.
Any business or transaction through 'James Smith (433255)' of '1 Principal Place, London EC2A 2BA, England' 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 solicitor named Timothy Edward Wass whose SRA ID is 433255.
The genuine solicitor has confirmed that he has no connection to the email referred to in the above alert.
The SRA authorises and regulates a number of solicitors named 'James Smith' who are believed to have no connection to the email referred to in 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.