State Bar of Texas Alert Says 'Scam Artist' Stole Nonpracticing Lawyer's ID for Fake Website
The State Bar of Texas is warning lawyers about an “apparent scam artist” who stole a nonpracticing attorney’s identity and set up a fake website in her name.
The FBI is investigating now that the unidentified attorney was alerted to the website by a legal finance firm, which called her at home regarding concerns about the impersonator, the Houston Chronicle’s Houston Legal blog reports.
Details are being withheld while the case is under investigation, the article notes. However, the State Bar of Texas says this is the first fake attorney website it has seen and urges other lawyers to be vigilant.
The fake site reportedly incorporated the real lawyer’s actual maiden name, former office address and part of her professional biography.
As detailed in previous ABAJournal.com posts, this is not the first fake website known to make use of an actual lawyer or law firm’s information and a proliferation of scams targeted at lawyers are known to make use of the Internet.
Related coverage:
ABA Journal: “Feds: Nonlawyer Opened Law Firm Using IDs of 2 Lawyers with Same Name”
ABAJournal.com: “Reports: Fake Law Firm Site Targeting Lawyers in Real Estate Scam Uses Actual Law Firm Info, Photos”
ABAJournal.com: “Man in Phishing Scheme Claims to Be Calling from Identified Law Firm, BBB Warns Consumers”
ABAJournal.com: “Law Firm Sues Over Doppelganger Domain Name, Says Infringing Website Is Intercepting Attorney Email”
