Phone calls, letters, emails and texts from fraudsters can appear convincing, so it is important to remain vigilant and watch out for anything suspicious.

If you receive any communication purporting to be from DLA Piper or any of our partners or employees which you are uncertain about or suspect may be fraudulent, do not respond and do not provide personal or confidential information. You can check whether an individual is from DLA Piper in the People section of this website, or forward any suspicious communication to security@dlapiper.com and we will investigate it.

Keeping yourself secure

Fraudsters often attempt to persuade people to part with money on the basis that they will receive substantially more in return at a later date. This is a common form of fraud which relies on empty promises, such as the offer of legal assistance.

Stay alert when someone you don’t know contacts you – no matter who they claim to be. Fraudsters may impersonate a law firm, a bank, or a third party claiming to represent them, and then trick you into transferring money to a fake account.

If someone calls asking for your personal details, end the call immediately. Then contact the company back using a telephone number published on their official website.

Phishing is another common scam, where emails or fake websites are used to trick people into disclosing sensitive information.

Examples of common scams

Scam communications can take many forms. Examples include:

• Fake legal notices requesting payment or threatening legal action
• Impersonation of DLA Piper partners, lawyers or staff via email, phone or messaging apps
• Fraudulent investment opportunities or fund recovery schemes claiming to be supported by DLA Piper
• Social media accounts using the names or images of our lawyers to promote unauthorised services

Further information

You can find further information on scams on the Solicitors Regulation Authority website. Unfortunately, we will not be able to recover funds if you have paid money away to a scam. However, we do take all cases seriously and our financial crime team will be happy to take the details of your case. We understand this can be distressing and encourage you to report any suspected fraud so that we can support you appropriately.

We also work with regulators and law enforcement authorities, as appropriate, in the jurisdictions in which we operate.