A cautionary alert has been issued by the UK’s Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) regarding a new email scam where fraudsters posing as lawyers demand Bitcoin payments. The scam involves emails from “[email protected]” threatening to release harmful videos unless a Bitcoin payment is made.
In a recent notice, the SRA disclosed that this scam falsely associates itself with Attwaters Solicitors and Attwaters Jameson Hill Solicitors, using the name “Patrice Joyce.”
The fraudulent email links to a potentially malware-infested Bitcoin wallet. The SRA clarified that no such lawyer is registered or regulated by them.
The domain “@attwaters.co” mentioned in the scam is not connected to the legitimate email domains of the law firms, “@attwaters.co.uk” and “@attwatersjamesonhill.co.uk.”
Manjot Kaur Henchie, referred to as Joyti, is a registered solicitor at Attwaters Jameson Hill Solicitors but has no involvement with the scam email.
The SRA advises the public to verify any dubious legal communications by contacting law firms through verified channels and checking the SRA’s official records.
Adding to the concern, the FBI issued a public warning in June. Fraudsters masquerading as lawyers target victims of cryptocurrency scams, claiming they can recover lost funds and falsely referencing the FBI to appear credible.
Victims sometimes approach these fraudsters through counterfeit websites, believing them to be legitimate sources for recovering their investments. This reflects a growing trend of sophisticated scams exploiting victim trust and desperation for fraudulent gain.
