A member of the public recently received a sham e-mail falsely stating that it is was from Louise Workman at Ashfords LLP, according to information from the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA).
The message claimed to be related to an application involving the Home Office, and that “Louise” requests the recipient to send personal ID information and transfer a sum of money, the SRA reports.
The message came from “l.workman@lawyer.com,” and even contained similar contact details. The provided telephone number was +447 087 645830 and the physical address was “Ashford House, Grenadier Road, Exeter EX1 3LH.” However, any business or transaction deeds through these contacts are not undertaken by a solicitor’s operations or any person that is authorised or regulated by the SRA.
In reality, Ashfords LLP is an existing solicitors’ firm operating from the exact same address as the one provided by the fake e-mail. Moreover, Louise Jane Workman is a real solicitor who is both authorised and regulated by the SRA. However, the phone number of the genuine firm is 01392 337 000 and its actual e-mail address is info@ashfords.co.uk. The real Ashfords stated that they and Louise Jane Workman have no relation to the bogus e-mail.
The SRA advises that if anyone gets an e-mail from Ashfords or “Louise”, they should double-check the authenticity of the message by contacting the mentioned organisation in a reliable and established way. Furthermore, in cases where a person or company name is “cloned,” users are urged to use their own diligence. Another option is to check with the SRA whether the stated firm or individual are under the regulation and authorisation of the authority. It is also advisable to check and update your anti-spam software.