What happens when you receive a letter from an attorney promising you a settlement of $130,000 but failing to disclose any information as to the case, the parties or how you came to be contacted?
Does your answer change if they include an "Official Bank Check" to cover the court costs as an "advance against "bailiff costs and court fees"?
Unfortunately, many people will fall for this scam and deposit the check into their account, giving vital information to the theives working to steal their money. Others will talk to the scammer on the phone and give all the information needed to have their accounts drained.
Elders are at risk for these scams. The FBI, AARP, and the Florida Department of Elder Affairs all warn of the risks of giving personal information over the phone to someone you don't know, but seniors continue to be duped by official looking correspondence simply because they cannot believe this would be a scam. It all looks so official.
Anyone can go online to verify the identity of an attorney, even those out of state. Go to Martindale.com to find a list of attorneys worldwide who are of good reputation. Lawyers.com and Findlaw.com also lists attorneys. Yes these sites require the attorney to pay a fee for advertising to be listed; however, if attorneys are dealing with you from out of state, shouldn't they be listed somewhere?
Finding an attorney is not hard; verifying the "attorney" who found you is truly serving your interests, may be. Beating fraud is worth the effort.
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