On September 14, 2012, the FBI issued an alert about scams targeting attorneys. The scam alert said, “A recent scam has surfaced in which the identity of a Texas attorney, who had not practiced in years, was used to set up a fake law firm website using the attorney’s maiden name, former office address, and portions of her professional biography. Other attorneys have complained about the use of their names and professional information to solicit legal work.”
Scams against attorneys have been around for years, but there appears to have been a recent uptick in activity. Recently, Houston Legal, a blog for Texas attorneys, reported that the Texas Bar Association had announced this same scam. And, the Wall Street Journal reported that scams against lawyers were becoming more widespread, but that many were perpetuated by the same individual when they quoted U.S. Postal Inspector Louis Di Rienzo, head of a cross-border mail-fraud team. “The way [lawyers] are contacted, the way they received the checks—that’s normal for how many law firms operate. The guys that are doing this, they are the top of the game.” According to Di Rienzo, these types of scams have bilked law firms out of an estimated $70 million.
The FBI alert places all attorneys on notice. “All attorneys should be on the alert to this scam. If you become aware of the same or a similar situation involving your name and/or law firm, you should immediately report the incident to local authorities, your state Bar, and the FBI at the Internet Crime Complaint Center.”
The email scam alert also cautioned attorneys to monitor their credit reports and bank accounts to ensure that they have not become the victim of identity theft. As always, anyone who suspects that they have become the victim of such a scam should file a complaint at www.IC3.gov.
Terry Ambrose is a mystery author with an interest in scams, cons, and corruption. His debut novel, “Photo Finish,” brings together a former skip tracer and a con artist. It’s Hawaii, mystery, and trouble almost too hot to handle.