Alerts

Warning: Emails misusing the name of Russell Joseph and The Law Society

25 July 2025

Emails have been sent falsely claiming to be from Russell Joseph at The Law Society.

What is the scam?

The SRA has seen emails sent to a member of the public purporting to be from a genuine solicitor called Russell Joseph who is authorised and regulated by the SRA (see details below). The emails claim that the recipient has been a victim of a crime and have been scammed through online investments. The emails invite the recipient to share information such as proof of purchases and transaction history from their banks so that potential solutions can be explored.

The emails seen by the SRA were sent from 'Russell Joseph, Solicitor/Legal Representative' using the email address 'russelljoseph@lawsociety.me' and misusing the SRA ID of the genuine solicitor (details below) and the website address for the Law Society 'www.lawsociety.org.uk/en'.

Any business or transaction through the email address 'russelljoseph@lawsociety.me' is not undertaken by a firm or individual authorised and regulated by the SRA.

Is there a genuine firm or person?

The Law Society of England and Wales is the professional body for solicitors in England and Wales. The genuine head office address is at '100-113 Chancery Lane, London, WC2A 1PL, England' and the website address is 'www.lawsociety.org.uk'.

The SRA also authorises and regulates a genuine solicitor called Russell Joseph, whose SRA ID is 506466. The genuine solicitor Russell Joseph is not employed by The Law Society and has confirmed that he has no knowledge or genuine connection to the emails referred to in this alert.

What should I do?

When a firm's or individual's identity has been copied exactly (or cloned), due diligence is necessary. If you receive correspondence claiming to be from the above firm(s) or individual(s), or information of a similar nature to that described, you should conduct your own due diligence by checking the authenticity of the correspondence by contacting the law firm directly by reliable and established means. You can contact the SRA to find out if individuals or firms are regulated and authorised by the SRA and verify an individual's or firm's practising details. Other verification methods, such as checking public records (e.g. telephone directories and company records) may be required in other circumstances.