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People occasionally contact the Law Society about fraudulent websites using the names of real Manitoba law firms or actual Manitoba lawyers, without the knowledge or consent of those lawyers.
These fraudulent websites are set up by criminals to give credibility to a scam. Usually, a potential victim gets an email or letter from a fraudster posing as a lawyer. The details will vary but always involve a financial windfall for the victim, like the classic “You have inherited money from a long-lost distant relative” scam. The fraudster’s fake law firm letterhead or email signature will list the fraudulent website. Sometimes, the letterhead and website will even show the real law firm’s actual street address, because they don’t expect their victims, who are usually in another jurisdiction, to mail something or drop in. The phone number or contact email shown will be fake, connecting the victim directly to the fraudster
These websites look polished, and may include pictures and bios of other real or made-up lawyers. When the fraudster’s victim googles the lawyer or law firm, they find a website that lends legitimacy to the scam. The real lawyers and law firms whose identities are being impersonated have no idea this is happening until an angry potential victim contacts them or the Law Society to complain.
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