| Home | Contact | Sitemap | ||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||
|
  |
||
|
|
 Services for Lawyers | Fraud Alerts and Tips
 Fraud is a real and growing problem for all lawyers, law firms and their staff. The Law Society of Alberta strives to provide information about fraudulent schemes targeting Alberta lawyers, and share tips to help lawyers prevent fraud from happening. To report fraud please click here to send an email to the Reporting Fraud mailbox. In addition to concerns regarding fraud, lawyers should consider the implication of their obligations under the Client Identification Rules in these and similar scenarios. Recent Activity Recent Activity November 27, 2009 Fraud Alerts: Beware of Scams Circulating Lawyers are urged to be aware of three types of scams. These include:
Fraud is a real and growing problem for all lawyers, law firms and their staff. Know your client. Many of these schemes would be discovered through compliance with client identification and verification rules implemented by the Law Society of Alberta. June 18, 2009 - LAWPRO E-Alert Fraudsters using counterfeit bank drafts, ID of major banks on mortgage deals Real estate lawyers are warned to be on the lookout for a new fraud scheme targeting them. For the first time LAWPRO is seeing a counterfeit bank draft fraud scheme that targets real estate lawyers on mortgage deals. Furthermore, the new scenario may include the supposed fraudster using the identity of a major national financial institution as the actual lender in the transaction. Click here to read more ... May 26, 2009 - The following are two reports of fraudulent activity which the Law Society of Alberta received for Alberta practitioners. Access Sought to Lawyer’s Trust Account A law firm in Cold Lake received an unsolicited letter of request from what appears to be a legitimate company in China to gain access to a lawyer's trust account. The red flags raised in this situation included:
The letter was forwarded to the Law Society of Alberta which has verified that it is an attempted fraud by unscrupulous individual(s) using the legitimate company as a front. Cash Purchase Made for Local Real Estate The Law Society of Alberta was contacted about an attempted cash purchase of real estate in Medicine Hat. An Alberta practitioner was contacted by a local realtor with a client in Sudan (purchaser) who expressed interest in purchasing real estate in that community. A cheque was received by the practitioner in the amount of $220,000 US and was drawn on the account of an Alberta company. Key red flags in this case included:
In performing due diligence, the practitioner contacted the Alberta company who advised the cheque was fraudulent. Real Estate and Bad Cheque Scams – Red Flags and Tips Please read LawPro’s new Fraud Fact Sheet at www.practicepro.ca/practice/pdf/FraudInfoSheet.pdf Or see the PracticePro fraud page at www.practicepro.ca/fraud Is the Fraudster in Your Office? Not all fraudsters are strangers. Even partners, associates, law clerks or other employees may turn to fraud because of financial pressures from a divorce, failed business venture or other personal crisis. Red Flags to look out for include:
Mortgage Fraud
More Information and Contacts Please be sure to review the new Know-Your-Client Identification and Verification Rules Contact the Practice Advisors: The Practice Advisors are always available to answer your questions on a confidential basis.
Contact ALIA: If you require information from the Alberta Lawyers’ Insurance Association regarding fraudulent transactions, please contact:
© 2004 Law Society of Alberta | Calgary Web Design by Media Dog |
