Slater and Gordon logo 0330 107 6474 Search Contact us Existing clients Menu Personal Injury Medical Negligence Employment Family Property Home > About us > Business policies, terms and statements > Advice and guidance regarding fraud and hoax communications About us Fraud and Security Unfortunately, most large organisations will find themselves subject to fraudulent attacks. This is seen regularly when illegitimate parties try to dishonestly trade on the good reputation of an honest company. These days fraudsters and hackers are smarter than ever before, which is why it’s important to remain vigilant to these attempts. Slater and Gordon want to protect both our clients and members of the public from fraud and scams, and to provide individuals with the information that they need to safeguard themselves. You may find yourself in a situation where a fraudster has posed as an employee of Slater and Gordon to entice you into a scam. This is why we’ve put the following information and guidance together to make you aware of what to look out for. Current fraudulent activity we are aware of Communications misusing the name Slater & Gordon Limited and Michael Stockton We have become aware that members of the public have received correspondence falsely claiming to have been sent by “Michael Stockton” of “Slater and Gordon”. These letters request that postal correspondence addressed to a deceased third party be forwarded on to a new address. Michael Stockton is a Solicitor and he worked at Slater and Gordon until September 2020. The genuine Michael Stockton and the genuine firm of Slater and Gordon have no connection with this correspondence and did not write these letters. This would appear to be an attempt at identity theft by the misuse of the genuine details of Slater and Gordon and Michael Stockton. Should you receive such correspondence, please do not follow its instructions or engage with the sender. Simply report the matter to us via emailfraud@slatergordon.co.uk. We also recommend you notify Action Fraud UK. We are also aware of similar attempts using differing solicitor names, including Stephen Clifford, using the same approach for identity theft. If you are ever unsure as to whether the Slater and Gordon correspondence you have received is legitimate, please contact us to verify the details provided. Remember to use the contact details on our website, rather than those provided by the sender, so you can be sure you are speaking to us. Common examples of fraudulent activity Hoax emails and SMS messages Emails may be sent by fraudsters pretending to be one of our lawyers. Most hoax emails are sent with the malicious intention of obtaining money from you under false pretences. The sender may put pressure on you to send money or release personal details. Be suspicious. If you have doubts about correspondence that appears to have come from Slater and Gordon, always contact us to confirm before actioning any requests. Who is the sender? Slater and Gordon emails will generally come from an email address ending in either “slatergordon.co.uk” or “slatergordon.uk” (although there are exceptions), so this is the first thing to check. If you hover over the sender name, the sender email address will appear. Fraudulent emails will usually be sent from a web-based email address such as Gmail or Hotmail, however sometimes impersonators are able to spoof legitimate inboxes and make it appear as though the sender email address is correct. Unfortunately, double checking the sender email address isn’t always enough but it’s a great place to start. Make a phone call. Find the correct contact details for the alleged sender and call them. If the impersonated individual has no knowledge of the email then it can be confirmed as malicious. Is there a website link? Although the hoax email may mention Slater and Gordon and appear to provide a link to our website, we have previously seen fraudsters supply links that are illegitimate and that lead to a false version of our website. Links can be disguised to look “normal” to trick individuals into clicking on them. Again, you can hover over the link to see the address that it will send you to. Never click on a link in an email or SMS message unless you’re absolutely confident that the sender is who they say they are. See also our guidance on ‘Hoax websites’. Download request? Slater and Gordon will never ask you to download any software on to your computer. Be cautious of any requests to do this - fraudsters may be trying to monitor your activity. Check for grammar and misspellings. This is often the easiest way to spot fraudulent activity and spam messages. Hoax phone calls If you receive an unexpected phone call from a party claiming to be Slater and Gordon and you are questioning its legitimacy, please hang up and call us back using either the contact details that you already have for us or the number provided on our website. Please be aware that caller IDs can easily be spoofed. This means that the number you have been called from may appear to be a genuine Slater and Gordon telephone number but, unfortunately, this might not be the case. Always call us back if you have any doubts or contact us via emailfraud@slatergordon.co.uk. Hoax websites Some fraudsters use hoax websites designed to look like the site of a legitimate business or organisation. These can be malicious and pose a threat to your safety online. Our advice: Carefully check the URL – be wary of look-alike domains, for example with missing, additional or substitute characters. Our web pages are all accessible via our home page If you come across a Slater and Gordon branded website which you think may be fraudulent, do not click on any links or input any of your personal information, and report the URL immediately to us via emailfraud@slatergordon.co.uk. Further information Further information on hoax emails, including common types of scams, can be found on: Solicitors Regulation Authority Citizens Advice Gov UK National Cyber Security Centre Action Fraud UK General guidance Never give personal details to somebody you don’t know or trust. Contact us first for confirmation of identity before handing over information. Report it. Please don’t feel concerned or apprehensive about reporting an incident that you suspect may be a scam (whether it turns out to be one or not). If you think you have received an illegitimate email, SMS message or phone call, let us know immediately. It’s better to be safe rather than sorry. Do not send any money unless you’re 100% confident about who you are sending it to. Always contact us to confirm if you’re unsure. Finally, try not to panic. Panicking can cause you to make rash decisions. Get in touch with us straight away and we’ll be happy to help. What to you if you're concerned If you receive any unsolicited emails, SMS messages or calls claiming to be from Slater and Gordon, please bring it to our attention via emailfraud@slatergordon.co.uk. Further information Further information on hoax emails, including common types of scam, can be found on the Solicitors Regulation Authority website. Our services Personal injury Medical negligence Employment law Family Property Criminal defence Wills, trusts, tax and probate Group litigation Dispute resolution Court of Protection Online chat Back to top of page About us Our experts Careers Newsroom Resources Follow Slater and Gordon Accessibility Privacy policy Cookie policy Terms of use Modern slavery act Complaints procedure Fraud and security Slater and Gordon UK Limited is a company registered in England and Wales with registration number 07931918, VAT 125 446 327 and registered office 58 Mosley Street, Manchester M2 3HZ. We are an approved Alternative Business Structure authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA number: 591058) and authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority for insurance mediation activity. Slater and Gordon 2020. All rights reserved. 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