SRA alerts public to cloned letter using Askews Legal details
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has issued a warning after a letter was circulated misusing the name and regulatory details of Askews Legal LLP, which trades as Debt-Claims Solicitors.
According to the regulator, the letter purports to represent a company called ‘Goldline Logistics Limited’ but includes the genuine firm’s contact details at the foot of the correspondence in an apparent attempt to give credibility to the demand.
The letter refers to a statutory demand said to have been served by ‘Goldline Logistics Limited’ and sets a deadline for payment. It also provides bank details for payment, and lists contact information, including the email address Goldlinelogisticsltd@outlook.com, the telephone number +44 7405 081365, the website Debt-Claims.com and an address at 95 Whittleford Road, Nuneaton, CV10 9JD.
In addition, the correspondence reproduces Askews Legal LLP’s genuine telephone number, email address, office address and SRA identification number.
The SRA confirmed that it does not authorise or regulate any firm called ‘Goldline Logistics Limited’. It further stated that any business or transaction conducted through the contact details listed in the letter is not undertaken by a firm or individual authorised and regulated by the SRA.
Askews Legal LLP, whose genuine address is 5 The Quadrant, Coventry, CV1 2EL (SRA ID 557129), has confirmed that it has no connection to ‘Goldline Logistics Limited’ or the correspondence referred to in the alert.
The regulator has advised members of the public to exercise caution where a firm’s identity appears to have been cloned. If correspondence is received claiming to come from Askews Legal LLP or any similarly described entity, recipients are advised to verify its authenticity by contacting the genuine firm directly using independently sourced contact details.
The SRA also recommends checking the regulatory status of firms or individuals through its official register and, where appropriate, consulting public records such as Companies House or telephone directories.
The alert forms part of the regulator’s ongoing efforts to warn the public about so-called “cloned firm” scams, where fraudsters replicate the identity and regulatory credentials of authorised law firms in order to lend legitimacy to demands for payment.