Scam communications

Scam communications

Phone calls, letters, emails and texts from scammers/ fraudsters can seem legitimate and convincing so it's important to be vigilant and keep an eye out for anything suspicious.

If you receive any communication purporting to be from Harper James or any of our lawyers or staff about which you are uncertain or suspicious, do not respond and particularly do not provide personal or confidential information.

All of our email addresses end with @harperjames.co.uk, and you can check whether an individual is from Harper James in the ‘Meet the Team’ section of this website.

Please forward any suspicious communication to clientservices@harperjames.co.uk and we will investigate it.

Keeping yourself secure

Scams typically seek to lure you into parting with your own money on the basis that you will receive substantially more in return at some later date. This activity is a common and recognised fraud which has the objective of inducing people to part with their own money in return for empty promises, such as legal assistance.

Stay alert when someone you don’t know contacts you – no matter who they claim to be. Often fraudsters will claim they are from a named law firm or a bank, or they will claim to be a third party appointed to represent the law firm or bank, then trick you into transferring money to a fake account.

Occasionally fraudsters claim that schemes have been approved by a named law firm in the hope that by doing this the opportunity will appear more credible. If you have any doubts call and check with the firm named using the telephone number which appears on its official website or is recorded with the Solicitors Regulation Authority.

If someone calls asking for your personal details, end the call. Then call the company back at a telephone number found on their official website.

Phishing is another common scam involving emails and fake websites that try to trick people into disclosing sensitive information. Check that that any emails you receive purporting to be sent by us are genuine before you respond.

Further information

You can find further information on scams on the Solicitors Regulation Authority website. Unfortunately, we will not be able to recover the funds for you if you have paid money away to a scam. However, we do take all cases seriously and we will be happy to take the details of your case.

Reporting scams

If you think you have been approached by a fraudster, you can report the matter to the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau, in London. Action Fraud reports can be made on 0300 123 2040, or via their website.

Please also let us know about any scams which use our name by contacting us via email to clientservices@harperjames.co.uk, or, if you are a client, by speaking to your usual Harper James contact who will pass the information on to the most appropriate member of our team.