SRA alert over cloned website misusing TLW solicitors’ identity
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has issued a warning about a website operating under the name ‘ORX Global Ltd’ or ‘ORX Global’, which it says is misusing the regulatory details of a genuine law firm.
The website, located at https://orxglobal.com, claims to represent a firm regulated by a “legal Regulation Authority” and provides an SRA ID number that belongs to a legitimate practice. The SRA has confirmed that it does not authorise any firm called ‘ORX Global Ltd’ or ‘ORX Global’.
According to the regulator, the website copies the address of TLW Solicitors Limited and reproduces wording from the firm’s genuine website, including the names and biographies of its partners.
The genuine firm, which trades as TLW Solicitors, is authorised and regulated by the SRA under ID 823682. Its head office is at Third Floor, CAI Building, Coble Dene, North Shields, NE29 6DE. The firm’s genuine telephone number is 0191 293 1500, and it uses the email domain @tlwsolicitors.co.uk. Its official website is www.tlwsolicitors.co.uk.
The fraudulent site lists a general contact email of info@orxglobal.com, alongside individual addresses using the @orxglobal.com domain. It provides a UK telephone number, +44 2038686596, and additional numbers using an Australian dialling code, including +61 744 109929 and +61 240 576007.
The SRA said any business or transaction conducted through ‘ORX Global Ltd’, the website orxglobal.com, emails ending @orxglobal.com, or the telephone numbers listed, is not undertaken by a firm or individual authorised or regulated by the SRA.
The regulator also confirmed that the genuine partners at TLW Solicitors – Lorraine Whitney (SRA ID 320567), Peter McKenna (SRA ID 332866) and Sarah Spruce (SRA ID 7029013) – have no connection to the website. The firm and its partners have confirmed that they are not associated with ‘ORX Global’.
The SRA further noted that some other names appearing on the website match those of genuine solicitors, but this is believed to be coincidental and those individuals are not connected to the site.
The regulator has advised members of the public to carry out due diligence where a firm’s identity appears to have been cloned, including contacting the genuine firm directly using established contact details and verifying regulatory status through the SRA.