Our firm was contacted by a woman who had queries regarding the potential cost of her legal matter. We informed her of our price. She then contacted our firm again shortly after disclosing that she had been scammed $1000 cash when she chose a heavily underpriced lawyer to deal with her matter. After handing him the cash, the lawyer disappeared of the face of the earth. The woman has been unable to recover her monies.
Our firm realising what she had just gone through coupled with her genuine financial hardship offered to reduced fees in good faith.
Key Take Aways…
Scams can take on various forms. Not everyone who proclaims to be a lawyer, or a legal professional is authorised to provide expert services. Individuals seeking legal assistance or representation often quickly enter into agreements with posing lawyers to speed up the legal process, and then soon discover that this agreement was not legitimate, making it difficult to retain or trace paid fees. Therefore, it is important to be cautious and to know some common signs that may entail a scam. For example,
- Payments that need to be performed quickly; often, these situations will not allow you to seek clarification and ask questions.
- The request for payment usually takes place via text message, email, or phone and is informal in nature.
- The posing lawyer is unrecognizable or from a different region in the country.
- Payment is made out to be an emergency.
Doing research before definitively choosing a firm or lawyer to assist you is critical. Remember:
- Never pay cash to a lawyer.
- Always request to transfer money into a lawyer’s trust account.
- Always verify a law firm and a lawyer with The Law Society of New South Wales.
How to verify a lawyer or law practice in NSW
- Search the Law Society of NSW Find a Lawyer to confirm the solicitor’s full name, practising status and firm.
- Ask for a written costs disclosure and engagement agreement before you pay. See general guidance from LawAccess NSW.
- Pay into the firm’s trust account and ask for a trust receipt. Learn more about trust money via the Law Society client guidance.
- Check the firm’s ABN details on ABN Lookup and ensure the bank account name matches the law practice.
What to do if you suspect a scam
- Contact your bank immediately to attempt to stop or recall the payment.
- Report the matter at Scamwatch and via ReportCyber. If there is immediate danger or loss, contact NSW Police.
- Keep all evidence, including messages, payment receipts and any identification provided by the scammer.
- If you shared identity documents, get support from IDCARE and consider replacing compromised IDs through Service NSW.
- If a person claimed to be a NSW solicitor, you can make a complaint with the Office of the Legal Services Commissioner.
We can help
If you need a second opinion or urgent advice about a suspected scam, costs disclosure, trust money or engaging a solicitor safely, our team can step in quickly. Explore our criminal law and traffic law services, or call (02) 8806 0866 to speak with a Sydney solicitor.
