The Law Society has issued a warning over the latest phishing scam targeting solicitor firms. The suspect e-mails started arriving in the early part of May, claiming to be sent by SolicitorsfromHell.net. After gathering feedback from recipients to investigate the matter, the Law Society concluded that the e-mails were a virus scam, not indications of new activity from the anti-solicitor website.
The solicitors who were targeted received a message with the threat of a compromising article concerning themselves, scheduled for publication on SolicitorsfromHell.net the following day. The e-mail said the website had been approached by a former client of the targeted law firm with complaints about their treatment. The information provided by this person has, the e-mail claims, supposedly led SolicitorsfromHell.net to conclude that the law firm clearly failed to treat all its clients with equal respect and dedication. The e-mail comes with an attachment that purports to be the letter the disgruntled client sent to the website.
When the matter first came to light, the Law Society said the e-mail might be a new initiative undertaken by Solicitors from Hell or a phishing scam by a third party using the website as a mask for the attack. The subsequent investigation and the details sent by solicitor firms have helped the Law Society determine that it is, in fact, a scam.
Virus-infected attachments were also used in a scam campaign launched a few months ago, where e-mails purported to come from the Solicitors Regulation Authority and the Law Society.
The Law Society urges solicitors to be vigilant and steer clear of e-mails from suspect sources. Recipients should not download attachments or follow any links included in such messages, preferably deleting the e-mail without opening it at all, the society concludes.