Conveyancing Fraud

Conveyancing fraud happens when criminals trick deceive buyers or sellers into wiring money to fake accounts. These scammers hijack communications between victims and their solicitors, posing as real estate professionals with convincing emails and false offers.

Scammers often intercept emails posing as solicitors to claim bank details have changed. They then persuade victims to transfer tens or even hundreds of thousands of pounds to fraudulent accounts.

Victims, expecting these emails as part of a familiar chain, fail to notice anything amiss and do as they are told without hesitation, handing over their money. By the time the scam is uncovered, criminals have already transferred the funds from the receiving account, leaving little hope for recovery.

If you are the victim of a conveyancing scam, immediately contact your bank, the police, and Action Fraud, the National Fraud and Cyber Crime Reporting Centre. If you have lost money, then that may lead to a criminal investigation by the police.

Banks must protect customers from scams like conveyancing or property fraud. When a scam is reported, the bank should promptly investigate to determine if compensation is warranted.

If you have lost money to a conveyancing or property scam and your bank refuses to compensate, you may be able to bring your case to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) and demand accountability.

The FOS, an independent watchdog, tackles disputes between financial institutions and their customers. Lately, it’s uncovering a troubling trend: banks failing to protect their clients from scams.

Our dedicated APP Fraud team has many years of experience dealing with FOS and successfully claiming compensation for our clients. We understand the deadlines, the information needed and the intricate claims processes. Our team tackles complex legal arguments and defenses from banks with expertise.

Combining our experienced team and digital case management systems means we can proactively pursue your claim, keep you fully up to date with every step of the claim and aim to get the best possible results.

The specialist fraud team at TLW Solicitors are helping many clients recover refunds on a no-win, no-fee basis. If you have a claim, we will deal with your claim from start to finish, whilst keeping you up to date as the case progresses.

The steps in the claims process are:

1. Submit your claim with us by completing either the online claim form, request a callback, telephone our office, or email us using the contact details provided.
2. A fraud expert will review your claim to see if we can help. If eligible, you will receive a welcome pack with all the next steps that will be taken and the details we will need from you.
3. You will be assigned a dedicated case handler. After an initial assessment, if we believe you have a claim, we will contact you to discuss the next steps. If not, we will explain why and suggest other options for you to consider.
4. Your case handler will gather any extra documents needed for your claim, even reaching out to the banks on your behalf. You’ll receive updates via email and phone calls as necessary.
5. Claiming a refund can take several months due to factors beyond our control. As your case progresses, we will keep you informed of expected timelines. Regular updates will be provided on your claim status, and you can always reach out to your dedicated case handler for any concerns or issues.