A client owed child or spousal support contacts a lawyer by email for assistance in collecting the outstanding arrears. With minimal effort by the lawyer, a cheque soon arrives by FedEx delivery and the client requests a wire transfer of the funds soon afterwards. The funds are transferred and then the bank calls to advise that the cheque was fraudulent. Sound familiar? This family law twist on the well-reported attempts to defraud lawyers across North America was recently reported in Oklahoma by Jim Calloway, Practice Management Advisor to the Oklahoma State Bar. From past reports, it appears that these kinds of frauds tend to ramp up just before holidays when staff and lawyers may be distracted and less vigilant about loss prevention procedures. Keep vigilant as the holiday season approaches and be sure to contact your local law society if you think you have been targeted by fraudsters. The Canadian Lawyers Insurance Association provides loss prevention information solely for the benefit of CLIA insured lawyers. The content and links provided in Loss Prevention eBytes are intended as resources to qualified lawyers who should exercise due care and their professional judgment in adapting or making use of any content.
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