The Office of the Attorney General warned Texans on Thursday about a reported scam where callers are falsely claiming to be staff members of the OAG’s Crime Victim Services Division. The scammers are attempting to obtain personal and financial information from the people receiving the calls. An OAG news release about the scam reports that … Continue Reading
A Texas police detective is issuing a warning that scammers are attempting to use the legal profession as a tool to bilk money from people who may be unfamiliar with the justice system. George Schilter, a detective in the criminal investigations division of the Webster Police Department and a licensed Texas lawyer, wrote to the … Continue Reading
Editor’s note: The State Bar of Texas publicizes scams targeting attorneys so that others may be aware and take precautions. If a scam has targeted you or your firm, please leave a comment below describing the scenario or tactics used. A Texas attorney, who recently relocated to Missouri, was contacted by a scammer seeking the … Continue Reading
Last fall, a Texas attorney was contacted through Martindale-Hubbard to assist in potential bankruptcy representation for a Nova Scotia, Canada-based company, which was seeking funds owed from a Houston-based firm. It was a sophisticated scam—and quite different from usual ones in the following ways: (1) the first check the scammer sent was a valid check … Continue Reading
As Texas’ annual Jury Appreciation Week approaches in the first week of May, the State Bar of Texas wants to warn Texans about the proliferation of jury duty scams across the state in recent months. There have been widespread reports of scammers calling residents and accusing them of failing to show up for jury duty. … Continue Reading
More victims are coming forward in a scam involving a fraudulent job posting listed on Indeed.com and other job listing sites. At least one person has suffered financial loss from the scam after providing the poster with gift card information. The job posting, listed on Indeed.com and other job sites, offered an office assistant position … Continue Reading
A recent job posting on Indeed.com and other job listing sites that offered an office assistant position with Bertha Gutierrez, P.C., is a scam. Applicants to the post received a response email claiming to be from Gutierrez that said, “Thank you very much for your application. We really appreciate you taking the time to consider … Continue Reading
Jury duty scams are again hitting Texas. The Travis County Sheriff’s Office has received reports of calls to residents in which scammers are aggressively accusing them of failing to show up for jury duty and claiming that a fine must be paid to avoid arrest. The scammers claim to be a sergeant or a lieutenant—using … Continue Reading
Attorney General Ken Paxton is warning Texans to beware of a tax-related scam preying on individuals as the April 18th income tax deadline approaches. The scam involves unsolicited phone calls from individuals who claim to be Internal Revenue Service agents, according to a press release issued by the Office of the Attorney General. The scammers … Continue Reading
An email scam that uses false notifications of disciplinary actions is targeting members of the State Bar of Texas. Several Texas attorneys have reported receiving an email claiming a grievance was filed against them and that they have 10 days to respond. The email invites them to “click here” for more information. The email is … Continue Reading
September 29, 2016, update: Jury duty scams continue to spread across Texas. A Houston attorney was a recent victim of the fraud, sending $1,000 to scammers after he received a message claiming there were warrants out for his arrest for missing jury duty. Read more in the ABA Journal. Earlier: Counties across Texas are reporting recent attempts where scammers call … Continue Reading
The city of Houston Municipal Courts is warning residents of a scam using text messages to solicit court fees. Companies are reportedly sending text messages to individuals prompting them to click a link to reset their court cases for a $10 fee, according to a press release and an announcement on the Houston Municipal Courts … Continue Reading
State Bars across the country are receiving reports of an email scam targeting attorneys using false notifications of disciplinary actions. So far attorneys in Alabama, California, Nevada, Georgia, and Florida have reported receiving emails that pose as a disciplinary notice from their state bar. In the emails, the lawyer is instructed to click on a … Continue Reading
