Web Marketing for Lawyers

Internet scams targeting the legal profession have been on the rise in the last year. From bogus law firm websites to counterfeit checks, affected lawyers are not only at risk for monetary losses, but also losses associated with time wasted pursuing the thieves and mitigating damages and time spent away from the lawyer’s practice. Attorneys from New Jersey to Georgia, Florida to California have been hit by scams designed to steal not just money, but identities as well.

Internet scams zeroing in on lawyers show up wrapped in a variety of disguises. The most common ones operate in the following ways:

“I need the money right away. Can you wire it to me?” In this scam, the unwary attorney receives a solicitation from Company X wishing to retain the attorney to collect funds owed to Company X by Company Y. The communication is so clear and convincing, the addresses and other contact information check out, the attorney does not think twice about the credibility of the source. Lo and behold, the check from Company Y comes quickly and is payable to the law firm. Red flag one. The attorney contacts Company X regarding the check. Company X now claims that it needs the funds right away and requests the attorney wire the funds immediately. Red flag two. Well meaning attorney figures the check will clear by the time the funds reach Company X’s bank. But the check is counterfeit and it never clears. Attorney’s bank refuses to take responsibility for the situation. Attorney is now stuck with a big headache (and an unexpected shock to his pocketbook).

There is a subpoena waiting for you over here (link)… and by the way, you’ll need to download this ‘software’ to view it.” Right. Wrong. Tech execs who fell for this email scam were in for a nasty surprise. The subpoena, it turns out, was bogus and those who downloaded the add-on also ended up downloading a phishing virus that stole and then relayed the account login information of the mail recipients the next time they accessed their bank accounts online. Ouch!

“I said what?” Yet another scam, though you may not even be aware that it’s happening. Identify theft is rising and the latest victim is your good reputation. Scammers pose as you, using your name in emails or on bogus websites to attract unwitting consumers or other lawyers. They ask for money, disappear, and then there’s no one to blame… but YOU. Some attorneys are made aware of the fraud by recipients of the fraudulent information. More often, attorneys have no idea that someone is using their name and credentials to commit fraud.

So what do I do? A word to the wise: First, don’t fall for these scams if you can possibly help it. You can’t necessarily keep someone from using your name and credentials (you can’t be everywhere at all times to catch someone doing it), but you can certainly avoid the “Wire the money now!” scam. Don’t wire money until the check has been checked right-side-up, up-side-down and sideways by your own financial institution (not you). The fact that the check is made out to you or your firm AND the client wants the money right away is a whopping red flag. Run and run fast. If a deal looks too good to be true, it is too good to be true.

If you think you’ve been victimized by an internet scam, report it immediately to the Internet Crime Complaint Center (ic3.gov). If you have lost money, consider reporting it to the local police or the FBI. Following are links to useful Government resources:

• Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
• Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
• Federal Communications Commission (FCC)

In general, lawyers can and should educate the public about scams involving the fraudulent use of an attorney’s identity. Get the word out: include warnings about such scams on your website, your legal newsletter, in letters to your clients, etc. Raising public awareness will protect unwitting consumers, and your colleagues, and hopefully reduce these egregious incidents in the future.