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5 Common Legal Scams to Watch Out For And How Fraud Solicitors Can Help
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22 Jul 2025

Legal scams can be common, and unfortunately, many people will fall victim to some sort of fraudulent scam in their lifetime. Whether they’re proficient in what to look out for or not, scammers have found a way to trick even the most fraud-aware individuals and businesses.

In order to protect yourself or your company, it’s good to read up and stay up-to-date on the latest scams in operation. By knowing these scams and the way scammers operate, you can help prevent yourself from becoming the next victim.

In this guide, we’ll share the five common legal scams we see as fraud lawyers and how fraud solicitors can help should you ever need it.

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The five most common legal scams to watch out for

There are a number of common legal scams that are worth watching out for when it comes to 

  1. Impersonation scams

This type of scam is where the scammer is pretending to be another organisation or person, whether that be a bank, a company, or a fellow employee.

The aim is to trick the recipient into thinking who they’re emailing is the real deal before asking for private/confidential information, which may include business financial information too.

Typically, impersonation scams will come with urgency, whether it’s by call, text, or email. It’s good to remember that banks and lenders will never ask you for personal information or ask you to transfer money.

You’ll also want to be wary of anyone who is reaching out to you without being prompted in the first place. Always proceed with caution and avoid giving out any personal information in general.

  1. Phishing scams

Phishing scams are where criminals will make use of texts or calls pretending to be someone they’re not. Much like the impersonation scams, they follow the same method of initial contact, but typically with phishing scams, they encourage you to click on a link.

This link may be seemingly harmless, but in fact, when it comes to phishing scams, the link activates the download of a file that contains a virus that steals your information or compromises it.

Criminals will often use email addresses or website links that mimic ones you’re used to seeing. That’s where even the most proficient and wise individuals can fall victim to this type of scam. 

It’s good to look out for suspicious activity when it comes to emails and text messages, especially when they contain links and attachments. If you’ve got a gut feeling it doesn’t look or feel right, then it’s better not to click on it and follow up with the organisation or person directly.

  1. Authorised Push Payment scams

An authorised push payment scam is a fraudulent attempt to trick someone into sending money to a fraudster who is posing as a payee.

These fraud tactics are done through the methods used in the above scams, like unexpected emails, messages, or phone calls to transfer money. 

It’s essential that you don’t feel pressured into making a decision quickly, and if you do, then that might be a red flag that you’re being forced into something that is dangerous.

If you’re making any large payments or exchanging information that’s confidential, double-check the recipient’s account details to ensure it’s genuine. 

  1. Charitable Publication Scams

Companies often find themselves giving back to charities and organisations that benefit from the funding of corporations. However, this is also a route that scammers will take to defraud their victims.

Companies may feel pressured into paying for advertisements in publications or giving money to charities that simply don’t exist or don’t deliver on the promises they once made.

It’s a good idea to be mindful of what charities you give to as a business and verify their legitimacy before proceeding further. 

  1. Credit card fraud

Finally, credit card fraud is one of the most common types and does a lot of damage to many people and companies alike. Scammers steal credit card details and make unauthorised bank transactions as a result. By tricking you into entering details on a fake website or cloning the card in question, it can have significant financial damage.

That’s why it’s always good to have your finance team checking bank transactions and making sure all of them are legitimate.

How fraud solicitors can help victims of legal scams

Fraud solicitors are helpful when it comes to dealing with any type of legal scam where you’ve been defrauded out of money or personal information. For businesses, it’s imperative that these scams are avoided at all costs, but sometimes, mistakes get made and accidents occur.

When it comes to fraud solicitors, they can provide legal advice and strategy in order to help seek justice for any wrongdoing that has taken place.

It is often the case that these fraudsters get away with their crimes, especially when attacking smaller businesses or those that don’t always have the finances to pursue it. With the right fraud lawyers, you can get expert advice and guidance on what to do in such a situation where fraud has taken place within the business.

Where a crime has been committed, a criminal lawyer can work with authorities to initiate the pursuit of the fraudsters in question so that they can be held accountable for their actions. Fraud lawyers can be helpful when it comes to helping both businesses and individuals to comply with relevant laws and regulations that are related to fraud and financial crimes in general.

Once you’ve acquired such legal services, victims of fraud can then be helped in recovering lost assets through various legal means. As well as being the victim, our 24 hour solicitors are on hand to help with any accusations that are being thrown your way, whether that’s tax fraud or something more sinister. 

Whether you need criminal solicitors or a defence lawyer, we provide the very best legal guidance and representation you’ll need. If you’ve become a victim of fraud or you’ve been accused of being fraudulent, then speaking to us today will be the best decision you make.

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