Mar 18, 2009 · I just received the similar scam letter from a “lawyer” in Spain finding the only living relative to split $4.7 million in a bank. The family had died in a China in a earthquake. Con artist Wealth advisor posing name is Alex Diego Ricardo. As others have posted the person that had died his name is “Thomas” too. BE AWARE!
The scammer usually poses as a lawyer, banker or other foreign official, and claims that the deceased left no other beneficiaries. ... Unexpected money scams involve someone overseas offering you a share in a large sum of money or a payment on the condition you help them to transfer money out of their country.
May 10, 2011 · Published on 5/10/2011 in Real Life Stories. Three years ago I was subjected to a serious fraud in Spain. I have a holiday home in La Nucia which is mortgaged by the Cam Bank but payments were supplimented by summer rentals. It originally started in 2005. Without going into too much detail, serious cracks appared in our pool terrace.
Try to Google the lawyer’s name or look up the law firm he/she represents. This will give you an indicator as to the reliability of the firm or individual. Do this research before you sign a contract with a lawyer or entrust them with your money. If the lawyer has had a history of scams, you will find out soon enough.
The first step is to research the credentials of the lawyer representing you. You want to know that the lawyer is licensed and has experience dealing with cases similar to yours. Ask them how many cases they’ve won. Ask about the amount of times they’ve taken their cases to trial. Ask them how many years they’ve worked as a lawyer. Question their qualifications. You want to know the lawyer representing you will give the best chance to win in the court of law.
Law scams are NOT minor scams such as being overcharged for hourly work or filing procedures. Lawyer scams unfold once lawyers request huge contingencies from clients. The victims are oftentimes the members of the impoverished sector of the society (immigrates, injured people, elderly).
It is never expected that an individual knows all the intricacies of law, but he must at least have the basic knowledge of his rights and how they should be protected. There are many instances when a fraud lawyer is said to have committed a scam against a client. Be especially wary of:
Unlincensed lawyers: probably the worst of all misrepresentations, the supposed-to-be lawyer is in fact, not a member of the bar.
Lawyers must establish real communication with their clients. A lawyer that gives you indirect/politician style answers should be avoided. It doesn’t matter if you’re dealing with an experienced lawyer who has big cases under their belt. If they don’t give you clear answers in regards to your case, you should seek out alternatives.
This concept is very vital in the preservation of social order. In line with this, most laws are enacted in order to protect the underprivileged against those who will use their power and influence to oppress the weak.
The materialistic mentality pushed lawyers to forget their sworn duty to uphold the interest of justice. Instead of catering to the welfare of the client, money became the primary consideration in handling the client’s case.
What To Do if You Were Scammed. Find out what to do if you paid someone you think is a scammer, gave them some personal information , or if they have access to your phone or computer. If You Paid a Scammer. If You Gave a Scammer Your Personal Information. If a Scammer Has Access to Your Computer or Phone. Report a Scam to the FTC.
If you were scammed, report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
If you're helping someone who's been scammed, there are ways you can manage their bank account for them. You might need to do this if you want to stop payments or claim back money.
If you've paid for something you haven't received, you might be able to get your money back. Your card provider can ask the seller's bank to refund the money. This is known as the 'chargeback scheme'. If you paid by debit card, you can use chargeback however much you paid. If you paid by credit card and the item cost more than £100 ...
Even if you can’t get your money back, there are other things you can do – like reporting the scam and getting financial or emotional support. There are things you can do to protect yourself if you ever need to use a money transfer service again. You should:
If the item cost less than £100 and you paid by credit card, you can't use Section 75, but you can use chargeback. See our advice on getting your money back ...
If you've paid by Direct Debit, you should be able to get a full refund under the Direct Debit Guarantee. If you can’t get your money back and you think this is unfair, you should follow the bank’s official complaints process.
If you discover you're the victim of a scam, remain calm and collect all the documents and information you have related to the transaction. If you used a credit card or bank transfer, you may be able to recover some of your losses through your bank or credit card company.
1. Gather all documentation related to the scam. You will need to prove to your bank or credit card company that you were the victim of a scam. You'll be more believable if you have detailed information about your interactions with the scammers to back up your story.
This article was co-authored by Scott Nelson, JD. Scott Nelson is a Police Sergeant with the Mountain View Police Department in California. He is also a practicing attorney for Goyette & Associates, Inc. where he represents public employees with a myriad of labor issues throughout the state. He has over 15 years of experience in law enforcement and specializes in digital forensics. Scott has received extensive training through the National Computer Forensics Institute and holds forensic certifications from Cellbrite, Blackbag, Axiom Forensics, and others. He earned a Master of Business Administration from the California State University Stanislaus and a Juris Doctorate from the Laurence Drivon School of Law. This article has been viewed 112,975 times.
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One common follow-up scam involves the scammer posing as a member of law enforcement, or employee of a nonprofit or government agency. These emails offer to investigate your situation and recover your money for a fee. However, you will never be charged a fee by a legitimate agency to investigate a scam or fraud claim.
You may be able to recover some or all of your money. However, you generally must notify your bank or credit card company within 30 days of the transaction. Your credit or debit card has a customer service number on the back. Operators typically are available on these lines 24 hours a day.