SRA scam alerts: what property lenders should check

Why scam alerts matter

The Solicitors Regulation Authority publishes scam alerts when it learns that someone is pretending to be a law firm or solicitor, or is misusing a genuine firm's name, address or staff details. New alerts appear frequently, and many relate to conveyancing.

A cloned firm can look genuine on the SRA register because it copies a real firm's details. The difference is usually in the contact details: a different email domain, phone number, website or bank account.

What to check

• Search the SRA scam alerts for the firm name and any trading names before relying on the firm.
• Compare the email domain, phone number, address and website you were given with the SRA register entry and the firm's own website.
• Confirm the named solicitor is on the register and linked to that firm.
• Call the firm on a number you found independently, not one from the email, to confirm the instruction.
• Treat late changes to bank details as a red flag and verify them by phone.

Licensed conveyancers and other regulators

Licensed conveyancers are regulated by the Council for Licensed Conveyancers, not the SRA, and firms in Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own regulators. A firm missing from the SRA register is not necessarily fake; check the right regulator.

Example

A lender receives completion emails from a firm whose name matches an SRA-authorised practice, but the email domain is slightly different. A scam alert search shows a recent alert naming that firm. The lender calls the firm on its register phone number, which confirms it is not acting, and the case is stopped.

What Vettsafe records

Vettsafe searches the SRA register and SRA scam alerts for the firm, keeps a dated screenshot of each, and flags matches at the top of the report for a reviewer to resolve.