Alerts

Warning: 'Philip Farmer & Co Solicitors' falsely claiming to be a law firm

21 November 2024

A letter has been sent purporting to be from 'Philip Farmer' of 'Philip Farmer & Co Solicitors'

What is the scam?

The SRA has been advised that a member of the public has received a letter falsely claiming to be from a law firm.

The letter seen by the SRA purports to be from 'Philip Farmer' who is described as the lead attorney and insurance broker at 'Philip Farmer & Co Solicitors'. The letter seen by the SRA requests the recipient's consent to add their name to a life insurance policy in order to claim the proceeds of an unclaimed policy worth £9.8m which would be divided equally. The recipient is asked to respond to the letter either by email or telephone.

The letter provides contact numbers of '+442030007916', '+447442745067', an email address of info@philipfarmerandco.com and a postal address of '19 Primrose Street, London, EC2A 2EW, United Kingdom'.

Any business or transaction through 'Philip Farmer & Co Solicitors', or any of the contact details provided above, is not undertaken by any individual or firm of solicitors authorised and regulated by the SRA.

Is there a genuine firm or person?

The SRA does not authorise or regulate a solicitor or law firm with the names Philip Farmer or Philip Farmer & Co Solicitors.

What should I do?

When a firm's or individual's identity has been copied exactly (or cloned), due diligence is necessary. If you receive correspondence claiming to be from the above firm(s) or individual(s), or information of a similar nature to that described, you should conduct your own due diligence by checking the authenticity of the correspondence by contacting the law firm directly by reliable and established means. You can contact the SRA to find out if individuals or firms are regulated and authorised by the SRA and verify an individual's or firm's practising details. Other verification methods, such as checking public records (e.g. telephone directories and company records) may be required in other circumstances.