The UK’s Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) issued a significant alert to the public, warning about fraudulent emails from individuals posing as lawyers and demanding Bitcoin payments. These deceitful emails threaten to release compromising videos and claim to have accessed personal data unless the demanded Bitcoin is transferred. The SRA stressed the importance of vigilance in protecting oneself from such scams.
Who Are the Fraudsters?
According to the SRA’s official website, the scam emails originate from “joyti.henchie@attwaters.co” and falsely assert that they have copied the recipient’s personal data. The malicious emails include threats of releasing damaging videos and a link to a Bitcoin wallet, which may contain malware. The emails misleadingly use the name “Patrice Joyce” and claim affiliation with real law firms Attwaters Solicitors and Attwaters Jameson Hill Solicitors, neither of which have any association with the scam.
The SRA confirmed that no authorized lawyer named Patrice Joyce exists and emphasized that any communications from the “@attwaters.co” domain are fraudulent. The genuine email domains of the legitimate firms end with “@attwaters.co.uk” or “@attwatersjamesonhill.co.uk”. Manjot Kaur Henchie, a real lawyer whose name was misused in the scam, also confirmed her non-involvement.
How Can You Protect Yourself?
The SRA advises recipients of such suspicious emails to exercise caution. Recommended actions include directly verifying the authenticity of the email with the law firm through trusted means and consulting the SRA’s records to confirm the legitimacy of the individual or firm. These measures are essential to safeguard against these scams.
Concrete Measures to Combat Fraud
- Contact the law firm directly via verified contact information to confirm email legitimacy.
- Check the SRA’s official records to verify the individual or firm’s authority.
- Avoid clicking on links or downloading attachments from suspicious emails.
- Use reliable security software to scan for potential malware.
- Report the fraudulent email to relevant authorities and the SRA.
The SRA’s warning is part of a broader effort to combat email extortion scams. In 2019, a similar scam targeted website owners using Google‘s AdSense program, and in 2020, New Zealand law enforcement reported a cryptocurrency scam involving fake claims about victims’ online activities.