Law Firm Scammed for 400G

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Posted: Wed Apr 11, 2012 6:08 pm

Worse than that, the article indicates that other firms have been him for $31 million (!) by this same scammer or team of scammers.

clicky

Bruin

Not quite a Newb Joined: 07 Mar 2012 Posts: 45

^^^ Somehow, that strikes me as funny Laughing

Posted: Wed Apr 11, 2012 6:17 pm

Debt collector got scammed.

Posted: Wed Apr 11, 2012 7:53 pm

after reading that article you think that law firms would know better, i wonder how many firms are keeping quiet about this happening to them

Posted: Wed Apr 11, 2012 8:18 pm

And the firms' response to their own stupidity is to sue the bank?

Wow.

Posted: Wed Apr 11, 2012 8:37 pm

For nearly 20 years I worked in law firms, and I can see how they could be scammed out of a lot of money. Lawyers made bad office managers. Good law firms hire office managers who are savvy. If a lawyer is also the office manager, its bookkeeping department is usually a mess. IMHO

I can see where this would happen where the bookkeeping department just deposits checks and then with the copies later attempts to match it up with the appropriate client's bill and they might not get around to that match up for weeks. It is heads in the bookkeeping department that need to roll rather than suing the bank.

Of course it sounds like the law firm(s) in question had an "insider" assisting.

Posted: Wed Apr 11, 2012 9:35 pm

This is why it drives me crazy when people say you have to be stupid to be scammed. Obviously lawyers and the people that work in law firms are not stupid. Un-educated to scams yes but stupid no.

This is pretty common and as an earlier post asked I would be willing to bet typically unreported. The lawyers are just doing their job and collecting funds so it's easy to see how susceptible they are to the scam.

Now suing the bank you cashed a fake check with that's a differant story. At some point even if you were scammed you have to take responsibility for your actions it's not the banks fault although I wonder how much check fraud would be prevented if better training was done on the bank level. I've never worked at a bank so I can't speak to that. It is odd to me that a $400 check can be cashed without a little more scrutinizing. Of course I'm sure the bank just checks the casher's account to see if they can cover it if it's bad and a law firm will probably have enough to cover.

What really pisses me off is lads are making millions off this. Glad to see the Nigerian government is agreeing to extradite.

Posted: Sat Apr 14, 2012 2:23 am

Morgain Le Fay wrote:

For nearly 20 years I worked in law firms, and I can see how they could be scammed out of a lot of money. Lawyers made bad office managers. Good law firms hire office managers who are savvy. If a lawyer is also the office manager, its bookkeeping department is usually a mess. IMHO

I can see where this would happen where the bookkeeping department just deposits checks and then with the copies later attempts to match it up with the appropriate client's bill and they might not get around to that match up for weeks. It is heads in the bookkeeping department that need to roll rather than suing the bank.

Of course it sounds like the law firm(s) in question had an "insider" assisting.

Thanks for explaining how that can happen. I've posted that link up at Eaters' FB page and if you have a 'warner' FB character, it might be good to post up the explanation there, too.

Posted: Sat Apr 14, 2012 4:28 am

I read that as meaning 400,000,000,000. What they lost is only $400k.

Is there any way to bait scams targeted at law firms?

Master Baiter Joined: 07 Feb 2012 Posts: 118

My guess is that this law firm now knows they can never be taken seriously again. Suing the bank is a last ditch effort at collecting a little scratch before they hit the unemployment rosters.

Posted: Sat Apr 14, 2012 7:50 am

I think this example should be quoted to victims who feel 'stupid' if a law firm can get scammed a private person should not feel so stupid.

Posted: Sat Apr 14, 2012 8:01 am

Quote:

Is there any way to bait scams targeted at law firms?

Not really as the lads target law firms. They'll buy lists of lawyers email addies.You'd need to find a lad mail to one of the firms targeted to even start baiting them.

Wannabe Baiter Joined: 05 Dec 2011 Posts: 93

This surely can't be the ordinary internet café lads can it? I hope that this particular lawfirm were a bit shady themselves. Otherwise this is really tragic.

Posted: Sat Apr 14, 2012 1:41 pm

^^ As I said I worked in many law firms for 20+ years, this can happen in even the best of the best law firms. There are some very reputable law firms who have been taken in by this because of their bookkeeping department and not having a proper office manager, but having a lawyer act as his collateral duty the office manager.

I have two personas that are lawyers, and do get these type of baits. They, to me, are like the cancer victims, I don't want to bait them. If you are going to bait as an attorney I would suggest throwing legalese words, esp. some Latin at them.

However, when I get anymore I will post in Surplus.

Posted: Sat Apr 14, 2012 1:52 pm

Quote:

Authorities believe she was part of a ring headed by Emmanuel Ekhator, who Nigeria recently agreed to extradite to the U.S.

Emmanuel Ekhator is/was a top oga who was IIRC based in Canada. He ran back to Nigeria when he knew the FBI were after him. He had a lot of cafe lads working as catchers for him.

Posted: Sat Apr 14, 2012 2:27 pm

LOSTINSPACE wrote:

I hope that this particular lawfirm were a bit shady themselves. Otherwise this is really tragic.

Not sure but it's really not a matter of them being shady they are a victim regardless. They were doing their job helping someone collect a debt owed to them. The lads create a scenario that fits what the lawyers do and without education of these scams it makes sense to the lawfirm.

The one good thing is hopefully it creates some awareness in their industry.

Posted: Sat Apr 14, 2012 2:29 pm

If you want to bait as a lawyer, I have posted a number of lawyer-scams in the surplus messages board. Search for postings by BRUIN on that board.

Bruin

Baiting Guru Joined: 27 Mar 2011 Posts: 21158

IIRC, a lawyer posted one of these a few weeks back. A victim is a victim regardless of profession or education.

Posted: Sat Apr 14, 2012 5:02 pm

BRUIN wrote:

If you want to bait as a lawyer, I have posted a number of lawyer-scams in the surplus messages board.

Cheers, have written to a couple, let's see if we get any nibbles

Wannabe Baiter Joined: 05 Dec 2011 Posts: 93

bravo95 wrote:

LOSTINSPACE wrote:

I hope that this particular lawfirm were a bit shady themselves. Otherwise this is really tragic.

Not sure but it's really not a matter of them being shady they are a victim regardless. They were doing their job helping someone collect a debt owed to them. The lads create a scenario that fits what the lawyers do and without education of these scams it makes sense to the lawfirm.

The one good thing is hopefully it creates some awareness in their industry.

Don't get me wrong here, im not supporting the lads in any way shape or form also this seems to have been a legit company.

However if this had been a filthy company (like some kind of loan sharks or similar) I would have seen it as a + - 0 Money goes from one criminal to another. Just like if the lad had scammed another lad. No difference would have been made.

Not quite a Newb Joined: 21 Mar 2012 Posts: 58

bravo95 wrote:

This is why it drives me crazy when people say you have to be stupid to be scammed... Un-educated to scams yes but stupid no.

The issue is rarely stupidity, but rather a combination of willingness to trust and unwillingness to believe that they're involved or a victim of it.

Even those people who have been educated in how scams work will sometimes keep sending money. "International fraud? That only happens to other people," is the thought process. Tragic.

Hello I'm New here! Joined: 17 Apr 2012 Posts: 12

BRUIN wrote:

Worse than that, the article indicates that other firms have been him for $31 million (!) by this same scammer or team of scammers.

clicky

Bruin

The scam continues: http://forum.419eater.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=206694&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=1100

See my self-introduction at the bottom of that page for details!

Posted: Wed Apr 18, 2012 1:07 pm

This is actually quite a widespread scam, as you can see from our 25 page thread on the subject over at scamwarners!
http://www.scamwarners.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=1578

Hello I'm New here! Joined: 17 Apr 2012 Posts: 12

^^^^ That thread is epic, thanks. In this case the origin and specific details are a variation of what is described in the other thread. I'll post a full write up once my work is complete.

Posted: Wed Apr 18, 2012 3:42 pm

^^That would be very helpful. Make sure you post the lads details there. Everything on Scamwarners is searchable so if a potential victim got suspicious and searched a Name or email address they would find the warning.

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