Cyber Crime

Cyber crime involves criminal activity carried out by use of the internet, a computer system or computer technology. You may have seen stories in the news about people becoming victims of cyber crime as fraudsters become more and more sophisticated. Conveyancers, and the clients they act for, are often targeted due to the nature of the transactions and the fact that large amounts of money change hands. We work hard to ensure that does not happen.

Cyber Essentials

As part of our commitment to protect our clients we have worked hard to gain certification from the Cyber Essentials scheme.

Cyber Essentials is a government-backed, industry supported scheme, which is designed to help organisations protect themselves against common cyber attacks.

In order to qualify for certification, Cyber Essentials has a list of strict criteria that we need to comply with on an ongoing basis.  We are confident that our systems are secure, but you must understand that we cannot control what happens on your devices.

Email

Email is an important element of modern everyday life, which enables us to complete the work for you in a speedy manner.

However, we know that emails can be intercepted and used illegally by fraudsters and, therefore, we have to take care to ensure that our email servers are as secure as possible.

Our computer systems include antivirus software and other safeguards, designed to identify and prevent any fraudulent interceptions.  We are confident that our own email is not at risk. However, you should be aware that your email system is still at risk and it is recommended that you take your own preventative measures to protect any emails you send or receive. Please see below for some general tips for avoiding cyber crime.

What You Can Do

Below are a few basic tips, detailing general steps you can take to stay safe online and avoid becoming a victim of cyber crime.  Please note that this list is not exhaustive and you may wish to seek specialist advice in order to ensure you are fully protected.

• Make sure your computer has at least a standard firewall and regularly updated antivirus protection
• If you receive strange or unknown emails in your inbox, don’t open them – just delete them
• Set up a block or filter for any junk/spam mail in your email account
• Have different passwords for each site you visit
• Change your passwords regularly and never give your password or other login details to anyone else
• Make sure you only use trusted providers with secure websites when you shop online
• Put an adult block on your computer that blocks unsavoury or illegal websites that might host malware or spyware
• Keep an eye on your children’s use of the internet, including who they are talking to in chat rooms and online
• Avoid using public Wi-Fi systems
• Avoid sharing social media posts about buying or selling

Our Bank Account Details

If we ask you to send us money in connection with the work we are doing for you, it is often easiest for you to arrange a bank to bank transfer.

You will need our bank details to do this.  Our bank details comprise our client account number and the sort code of our bank branch.

In many cases we will send you a cybercrime leaflet with our first letter.  This will tell you the correct sort code for our bank, and the last four digits of our client account number.  To protect yourself, you should keep that note safe.  When we ask you to make payment, we should only provide the account number.  You can then combine this with the information previously given to make sure your payment is sent to the correct account.

If you receive an email from us with our full bank details, we strongly recommend that you assume it is not genuine.

We do not expect to change our bank details during the course of a conveyancing transaction.  Do not trust any email that tells you we have.

If you receive any email advising you of a change in bank details, contact us immediately. We cannot accept responsibility if you send money to an incorrect account.

If you have any concerns as to the validity of the bank details provided to you, please check the details by telephoning the caseworker who is dealing with your matter or a member of our Client Services team.  If an email has been hacked, any telephone numbers in the email might also have been changed, so we recommend that you also verify any telephone number you use before calling – the best place to verify our telephone number is using the “Find a Solicitor” service on the Law Society website.

Your Bank Account Details

If we ask you for your bank details, you should avoid sending them by email even if you receive an email from us asking you to.  Instead, please telephone the caseworker who is dealing with your matter.

Queries and Concerns

If there are any issues you want to discuss in relation to any of the information provided in this note, please contact the caseworker dealing with your matter.