The Oregon Department of Justice’s Consumer Hotline is warning Oregonians about a new scam involving scammers impersonating Oregon lawyers to target victims.

In the two cases reported, victims lost hundreds of thousands of dollars to scammers pretending to be attorneys.

In the first case, a fraudulent website impersonating an Oregon attorney successfully scammed victims out of hundreds of thousands of dollars. One victim obtained the “attorney’s” information through a person she met on the dating app Hinge – and believing the individual to be a real attorney offering investment services, she transferred funds with the expectation of receiving returns.

In a separate incident, a consumer lost over $700,000 when scammers gained unauthorized access to both the attorney’s and the client’s email accounts. Scammers were aware that the client was expecting a substantial settlement, so they impersonated the client to provide false wiring instructions, and they impersonated the attorney to cancel a scheduled meeting. Although the deception was discovered shortly after the transfer and a hold was reportedly placed on the funds, it remains unclear how much, if any, of the money has been or will be recovered. This matter is under investigation by the FBI and the involved financial institutions.

“Scams are becoming increasingly sophisticated, predatory, and cruel,” said Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield. “This is a reminder to practice extreme caution when it comes to money, even if something – or someone – seems legitimate.”

In a PSA earlier this month, the FBI warned of scammers impersonating lawyers and reaching out to victims of past scams, falsely offering to help them recover previously stolen funds.

If you have been impacted by this scam:

File a report with the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center as quickly as possible
File a police report with your local police department
If money was delivered via wire, contact your bank and file a “Suspicious Activity Report”
File a report with the FDIC regarding wire fraud
File a report with the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) as they investigate banks for unsafe or unsound practices, compliance violations, or breaches of fiduciary duty
File a report with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB)

If you are an attorney who has been impersonated:

Report the incident to the Oregon State Bar
File a police report with your local police office and provide the imposter website
File a report with the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center and provide the imposter website

Additional precautions for attorneys:

In transactions involving wiring funds, obtain and confirm wiring instructions in-person, whenever possible.
If wiring instructions are received via email or another indirect method, verify them using a known and trusted phone number before initiating any transfers.

Scams are becoming increasingly sophisticated — and staying informed is one of the best ways to protect yourself.

Source: Oregon Attorney General's Office

Bill Handel