This message has been cross posted to the following Discussions: Family Law and LGBT Rights Section .
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I know we all get phony scam emails - but I just got one that apparently has caught attorneys around the country, and
I just dodged a bullet on a collection case.
I was contacted by what appeared to Mashan Steel, a company allegedly in China, with what looked like a legitimate company email address, asking me to represent them against Ferguson Enterprises in a contract dispute. The unsolicited request was my first red flag. The email used my name, and went into detail about the claim. I asked how they got my name and they said Google (which was my second red flag) and sent me a series of email chains, the contract, and their demands. Before I downloaded the documents, I researched the company, which seemed to be legitimate on the internet, and the email seemed to match the company. I downloaded and ran my computer security and it appears there are no viruses. The contracts and the emails all look very legitimate, and the emails from Ferguson came from a person whose email address included ferguson.com, and were purportedly from the COO (using the name of the actual COO). The products to be purchased from Ferguson are products Ferguson sells. They provided a local address for Ferguson not far from my office and indicated they wanted a local attorney to deal with the claim, which was for $1,000,445.00.
I contacted Corporate Counsel for Ferguson to determine if there is such a contract and whether this was a legitimate claim. I was advised that they have been the target for quite some time of these scams, and are working with the FBI and the CIA. They believe the scam comes out of Russia. The email address for their COO was very similar, but not the correct email.
He advised that the collection attorney is sent what appears to be a legitimate cashier's check from the "client," who then advised the collection attorney to keep his fee and return the balance. Needless to say, the "cashier's check" never clears.
I get phony solicitations all the time and ignore them, but this one sounded so legitimate it was worth investigating. If you have a method of circulating this warning, please do.
Felice
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Felice Londa Esq.
Elizabeth NJ
(908) 353-5600
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