We would like to draw your attention to the recent practice of individuals impersonating professionals from major law firms (including DS Avocats) in order to obtain payment for false invoices from their clients or third parties ("Fraud").
These scams are carried out by replicating - sometimes identically - the e-mail addresses of our associates and partners as well as the distinctive signs of our network (logo, brand).Fraudsters can create website domain names that look like real domains in an attempt to make it appear that they match a genuine email address.
DS Avocats has seen many variations of its signature @dsavocats.com email addresses, including the following:
- dsavocats.net
- dsavocats.org
- ds-avocats.com
Things to look out for
If you are a client of DS Avocats and you receive a suspicious invoice from DS Avocats, you should only settle with your usual DS Avocats contacts. In case of doubt, do not hesitate to contact your DS Avocats contacts via their usual contact details to ensure the authenticity of the requests made to you as well as their true origin.
Here are some points of vigilance that we recommend:
- Always check the sending address and make sure that the address and headers of the email mention dsavocats.com.
- Make sure that any case number or reference quoted corresponds to what is expected or has been known/verified in the past.
- Check the invoice amount to make sure the charges are correct, as the amounts on these fake invoices are often miscalculated.
- Confirm that the logos/branding are consistent with previous correspondence.
- Check that the bank details are correct. Any changes to our bank details will always be communicated to you officially and not simply changed on an invoice.
- Be aware of any changes in the style or tone of an email. If they do not seem to match the style or language of previous emails, it may indicate that the sender is not the person you are used to dealing with.
- If you are unsure, always call DS Attorneys (at a known/confirmed number) for verification/assistance. Do not simply use the unvalidated phone numbers provided on the invoice, as they often refer to fraudulent phone systems that falsely validate incorrect account information.
If you believe you have received fraudulent correspondence related to DS Attorneys, please notify us by email at [fraude@dsavocats.com] or your usual contact so that we can take appropriate action.
