Alerts

Warning: Letter and emails misusing the name of Andrew Wallace

27 February 2025

A letter and emails have been sent misusing the name of Andrew Wallace, in relation to supposed inheritance matters.

What is the scam?

A letter has been sent misusing the name and SRA ID of a genuine solicitor (see below) in relation to a supposed inheritance matter.

We understand that emails were also sent to recipients from the email addresses 'a.wallace@privatesolicitors.co.uk' and 'a.wallace@the-solicitors.com'.

A copy of a 'Letter of Recommendation' was also subsequently provided to a recipient of the messages. This letter was supposedly sent to a bank, purportedly arranging the release of a deceased client's estate to the recipient of the emails, who we understand had the same surname as the supposed deceased client. The letter seen by the SRA contains a supposed seal from the High Court of Justice and provides the telephone number '+44 2080898920' and a genuine address in London (see below).

Any business or transaction through the email addresses 'a.wallace@privatesolicitors.co.uk' and 'a.wallace@the-solicitors.com' or the telephone number '+44 2080898920' is not undertaken by a firm or solicitor authorised and regulated by the SRA.

Is there a genuine firm or person?

The SRA authorises and regulates a genuine solicitor called Andrew Wallace with the SRA ID: 17653.

The genuine Andrew Wallace works as an in-house solicitor at British International Investment Plc, which has a genuine London address of 123 Victoria Street, London, SW1E 6DE, and has confirmed that he has no connection to the above matters.

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.