Cybercriminals hit law firms

The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has warned firms to be on their guard against the increasing menace of cybercrime. It is receiving more and more reports of firms either being contacted by con artists or falling victim to fraudulent activity, with potentially serious consequences for clients buying or selling property. The scams are usually either: callers pretending to be banks to obtain passwords and other sensitive information; or e-mails between firms and clients being intercepted so that client funds are paid into fraudsters accounts. Paul Philip, SRA chief executive, says: “This is an issue that is not going away.