THE Law Society of Scotland has warned its members to be on alert for new email scams after a firm of solicitors was targeted in a sophisticated fraud attempt.

The professional body for Scottish solicitors would not name the firm involved but gave details of the scam which only failed because the firm’s client became suspicious and contacted his solicitors.

The Law Society described the incident as “a recent attempt to intercept communications between a firm and its client”.

They added: “The email was sent to the client claiming to be from their solicitor and requesting a transfer of funds to a Barclays account.

“Fortunately the client contacted the firm to verify the instructions and the firm were able to confirm that the email was indeed fraudulent.

“A further email was sent to a number of of the firm’s clients, purporting to be from the firm and asking the recipient to click on a link to verify documents.”

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The scam prompted the Law Society to state: “Perhaps now, more than ever, the Scottish legal profession needs to be on its guard against scams and fraudulent attacks.

“As our collective efforts are concentrated on recovering from the effects of the pandemic, fraudsters are making the most of the distraction.”

The Law Society added in direct advice to its members: “These criminals are opportunistic and often sophisticated, but there are measures you can take to protect yourself and your clients.

“Advise your clients of your ways of working, processes and means of communication so they can more easily and quickly identify fraudulent emails. Ask the client to call your office to confirm the firm’s bank account details if they receive any communication which requests a payment.”

The Law Society also advised solicitors to “keep discussing this issue with your clients to ensure that they are alive to the threats and that they know what to expect from your firm.”