Fraud Risk Management
Subscribe to Fraud Alerts: RSS Feeds
Lawyers as tools or dupes of fraudster clients
Bad cheque scam (fake certified cheques and other negotiable instruments)
In the bad cheque scam, fraudsters use various ruses in an attempt to trick lawyers into paying funds out of their trust accounts. To learn more, see:
- Bad cheque scam (including list of ruses)
- Common characteristics and red flags
- Names and documents
- Twists and developments
- What to do if you suspect a new client may be a scamster
- Steps to manage the risk
- Report actual or possible trust fund shortages
Fraudulent investment schemes
Potential fraudulent investment scheme operating in BC (Notice to the Profession, August 1, 2012)
Don’t be taken advantage of by dishonest clients – ethical guidelines and rules (Practice Watch, Benchers’ Bulletin, 2011 No. 2 Summer)
Fraudulent investments (Practice Watch, Benchers’ Bulletin, 2009 No. 4 Winter)
Fighting back against fraud — a dark and shifting landscape (Practice Tips, Benchers’ Bulletin, 2005 No. 5 November-December)
Scamsters target lawyers (Notice to the Profession, July 8, 2005)
Rules require lawyers to guard against fraud (Benchers' Bulletin, 2005 No. 2 April-May)
New rules require lawyers to guard against scamsters (Notice to the Profession, March 11, 2005)
When scamsters target lawyers (Benchers' Bulletin, 2003 No. 3 May-June)
Watching out for questionable schemes and scams (Alert! bulletin 1999: June)
Investment Scams: How to Protect Your Money (This online resource, developed jointly by the BC Securities Commission and Alberta Securities Commission, focuses on the more common methods fraudsters use to approach potential victims – via the Internet, advertisements, seminars, and by exploiting an affinity or common bond.)
Real estate: value and identity frauds
Identity fraud – Alberta loan on Alberta land (Practice Watch, Benchers’ Bulletin, 2012 No. 4 Winter)
Forgery risks in mortgage transactions (Notice to the Profession, March 23, 2011)
The "Oklahoma flip" – a cautionary tale of property value fraud (Practice Watch, Benchers’ Bulletin, 2010 No. 2 Summer)
Real estate fraud alert (Notice to the Profession, June 2, 2010)
Scams, scams and more scams (Practice Watch, Benchers’ Bulletin, 2008 No. 4 October)
Identity fraud alert (Notice to the Profession, June 10, 2008)
Real estate fraud — a prevention primer (Insurance Issues: Risk Management, October 2005)
Law Society alert on value fraud schemes (Notice to the Profession, August 10, 2005)
Fighting back against fraud — the risks in real estate (Practice Tips, Benchers’ Bulletin, 2005 No. 2 April-May)
Employee fraud
Forgery risks in mortgage transactions (Notice to the Profession, March 23, 2011)
Do your systems protect you from employee fraud? (Practice Watch, Benchers’ Bulletin, 2010 No. 3 Fall)
Other scams and risks
Ontario law firm victim of large fraud due to infection by Trojan banker virus (Notice to the Profession, December 21, 2013)
The Little Black Book of Scams, fake websites and lawyers (Practice Watch, Benchers’ Bulletin, 2012 No. 2 Summer)
Fraudster pretending he’s been hired to create a law firm’s website (Practice Watch, Benchers’ Bulletin, 2012 No. 2 Summer)
Have you received an electronic trust deposit "by mistake"? (Practice Watch, Benchers’ Bulletin, 2010 No. 3 Fall)
Getting rid of your photocopier? A potential gold mine for fraudsters (Practice Watch, Benchers’ Bulletin, 2010 No. 2 Summer)
New lottery scam (Practice Watch, Benchers’ Bulletin, 2009 No. 1 Spring)
Scams to look out for (Practice Tips, Benchers’ Bulletin, 2007 No. 2 May)
