Our insurance company, Lawyers’ Professional Indemnity Corporation (generally referred to as “LawPro”), regularly publishes information on confirmed frauds and scams against lawyers on their “avoid a claim” blog. Today I’d like to share with you a few of the recently confirmed frauds that target lawyers.
Too good to be true? It probably is. (Photo courtesy of stock.xchng, all rights reserved)
Type: Separation Agreement Scam
Synopsis: Purported client living in South Korea wishing to collect $515,500.00 from her ex-husband, who resides in the targeted lawyer’s jurisdiction. Fake divorce decree and separation agreement signed by the parties were produced.
Details of initial contact:
Kathrine Chung
Address: 928-12 Daechi 3-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul 135-502, South Korea
Type: Commercial Debt Recovery
Synopsis: Purported client wishes to engage legal services for recovery of debts totalling $1,150,000. Fake documents, including invoices, were produced by the alleged debtor.
Details of initial contact:
Iwashima Lui
Accounting Officer II,
Iwashima Electronics Co.,Ltd.
2-39, Chihara-cho, Nakamura-ku, Nagoya, Aichi
ZIP 453-0011 EMAIL: iwashimalui@ymail.com
Synopsis: On behalf of his corporation, purported client contacted lawyers for commercial litigation in their jurisdiction. Amount of money allegedly in dispute was not provided.
Details of initial contact:
Peng Chen, Chief Accountant
Wuhan Iron & Steel (Group) Corporation.
Qingshan District of Wuhan,
China.
Email: wuhangroup50@hotmail.co.uk
Website: www.wisco.com.cn/wisco_ en
Email originated from Verne C. Bechill [mailto:bchill@alma.edu]
Synopsis: Purported client contacts lawyers for alleged business loan dispute. The amount allegedly in dispute is $850,000.
Details of initial contact:
From: Ken Moore
To: lawyer email
Date: 09/20/2012 10:08 PM
Subject: Assistance required
Dear Counsel,
My company is currently looking for a Law Firm that can assist us with the issue of an overdue loan of ($850,000.00 ) that I had provided to a former business partner of mine Benjamine Ford. If you or your firm can handle this matter, get back to me at your earliest convenience so that I can provide detailed information and related documents on this issue.
Sincerely
Ken Moore
Synopsis: Purported client wishes to retain lawyer for the collection of a business loan in the amount of $350,000.
Details of initial contact:
From: ABRAHAM J. YUZUKI [mailto:abraham_j_yuzuki@yahoo.com]
Sent: Wednesday, September 05, 2012 9:18 AM
Subject: Legal Service Needed!
I need your legal assistance. I provided a friend of mine Mr Brian Caldwell a business loan in the amount of $350,000. He needed this loan to complete an ongoing project he was handling in 2009. Mr Brian is well based in your city and the loan was for 24 months and interest rate of 7.85%. The capital and interest were supposed to be paid on April 15th, 2011 but Mr Brian has only paid $50,000.
Please let me know if this falls within the scope of your practice so that I can provide you with the loan documents and any further information you need to know. My email is: abrahamjyuzuki1@hotmail.com
Thanks,
Abraham J .Yuzuki
The above are only a few of the recently verified cases. This blog is posted for your information and does not constitute legal advice. Please verify the accuracy of the information posted above with LawPro before you rely on it. Contact details of LawPro are as follows:
Lawyers’ Professional Indemnity Company
250 Yonge Street, Suite 3101
P.O. Box 3
Toronto, ON
M5B 2L7
Phone: 416-598-5800 or 1-800-410-1013
Fax: 416-599-8341 or 1-800-286-7639
