Alerts
Warning: Email misusing the name of Matthew Cohen
6 December 2024
An email has been sent misusing the name of Matthew Cohen concerning a supposed investigation relating to alleged scams involving brokerage companies and financial advisers.
What is the scam?
The SRA has been informed that an email has been sent misusing the name of a genuine solicitor (see below), in relation to a supposed investigation into matters involving an alleged scam involving 'illegal Brokerage Companies and Financial Advisors'.
The email advises the recipient that they are a group of freelance solicitors and that during their investigation, they had obtained the recipient's credentials such as their name, surname and email address in their database. The email invites the recipient to engage in a telephone call to discuss the issue.
The email seen by the SRA has a subject line 'SRA Solicitors Report'.
The email was sent from the email address 'matthew.cohen@solicitorinvestigation.org'.
The email misuses the name and SRA ID of the genuine solicitor (see below).
Any business or transaction through the email address of 'matthew.cohen@solicitorinvestigation.org' is not undertaken by a firm or individual authorised and regulated by the SRA.
Is there a genuine firm or person?
The SRA authorises and regulates a solicitor called Matthew Jack Cohen. His SRA ID is 451657.
Matthew Cohen has confirmed that he has no connection to the email referred to in the above alert.
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.