How to Avoid Conveyancing Scams

Conveyancing fraud is one of the highest-value crimes targeting ordinary UK consumers. Transactions involve six- or seven-figure transfers, multiple parties communicating mostly by email, and a tight completion window — the perfect environment for criminals. This article walks through the most common scams seen in UK residential conveyancing, how they work, and the practical steps that protect your money.

If you are buying or selling in Marlow, Maidenhead, or across Berkshire and Buckinghamshire, J Scott & Co Solicitors operates verified anti-fraud procedures on every transaction. Get an instant quote.

Scam 1: Email interception (the most common)

This is by far the most common conveyancing scam in the UK, sometimes called "Friday afternoon fraud" because it tends to peak just before completion day.

How it works

1. A criminal gains access to either the buyer's or the solicitor's email account (often via phishing, weak passwords, or malware).
2. They watch the email thread quietly for weeks, learning the names, deal size, and timing.
3. Just before completion, they send an email impersonating the solicitor, stating that "due to a banking issue" the deposit funds should now be sent to a different account.
4. The buyer transfers their money — often £20,000–£200,000+ — to the criminal's account.
5. By the time anyone realises, the money has been moved through multiple accounts and is unrecoverable.

UK Finance and the Solicitors Regulation Authority both report that email interception fraud costs UK property buyers tens of millions of pounds each year.

How to protect yourself

• Never trust account details sent by email alone. Always verify by phone, using a phone number you have independently obtained (from the firm's website or the SRA register — never from the email itself).
• Confirm account details once and stick to them. A legitimate solicitor will give you their client account details early in the transaction. If you receive an email later saying these have changed, treat it as fraud until proven otherwise.
• Use a phone number from the firm's official letterhead or SRA registration — not a number provided in a suspicious email.
• Be especially wary of emails sent on Fridays or just before bank holidays. Fraudsters know these are the highest-volume completion days when verification is hardest to do.
• Ask your solicitor what their fraud-prevention procedures are. A good firm will have a written policy and use multi-factor verification for any change of payment details.

Scam 2: Vendor / seller identity fraud

A criminal impersonates the owner of a property — typically one that is empty, unmortgaged, or held by an absent owner — and tries to sell it to an innocent buyer. The fraudster pockets the sale proceeds and disappears; the real owner is unaware until they discover the title has been transferred.

How to protect yourself

• Insist on solicitor-led identity verification of the seller, including biometric ID checks.
• Be alert if the property is empty, recently inherited, or the seller has just moved abroad.
• Ask for utility bills and proof of address in the seller's name covering recent months.
• Trust your solicitor if they flag inconsistencies — they have a regulatory duty to investigate.

Scam 3: Fake conveyancing firm

A fraudulent firm sets up a website that appears legitimate, takes instruction from buyers, holds their deposit funds, and disappears. Variations include "clone firms" that copy the website and contact details of a real firm but redirect the money to fraudster-controlled accounts.

How to protect yourself

• Verify the firm on the SRA register at www.sra.org.uk before transferring any money. The register shows the firm's official phone number, address, and authorised individuals. If the contact details on the firm's website do not match the register, it is a clone.
• Be cautious of firms that only have email contact. A legitimate solicitor has an office, a landline, and named regulated individuals.
• Look for the CQS badge — the Conveyancing Quality Scheme accreditation is awarded by the Law Society and is much harder for fraudulent firms to fake.
• Ask the firm for their SRA number at the start of the relationship. Cross-check it on the register.
• Be suspicious of unsolicited approaches — particularly cold-call or email approaches offering very low fees.

The four anti-fraud rules to live by

1. Verify by phone, not email. Always confirm bank account details and any change to instructions by phone, using a number you have independently obtained. Email accounts can be hacked silently; phone numbers (on official documents) are harder to spoof.
2. Use the SRA register. For any firm you are about to instruct, search them on the SRA register and verify the address, phone, and named individuals match what is on their website. If they do not match, walk away.
3. Beware urgency. Fraudsters create artificial urgency — "your mortgage offer expires tomorrow", "completion will be lost if you do not transfer today". A legitimate solicitor will accommodate normal verification delays. Sudden urgency in the final 48 hours of a transaction is a red flag, not a reason to skip steps.
4. Document everything. Keep written records of all instructions, all account details, and all phone confirmations. If something does go wrong, the records are what allow your solicitor's indemnity insurance to respond.

Why local expertise matters

Marlow's higher-than-average property values make it a particularly attractive market for fraudsters — six- and seven-figure transactions are the most profitable to target. At J Scott & Co Solicitors, we operate strict identity verification, source-of-funds checks, and account verification procedures designed specifically to defeat the most common fraud patterns. Our SRA registration (number 621898) and CQS accreditation provide independent verification that you can check before instructing us.

If you are buying or selling in Marlow, see our Marlow conveyancing page for service details. We also act for clients across Maidenhead, Beaconsfield, and Windsor.

Get fraud-aware fixed-fee conveyancing

If you are buying or selling in Marlow, Maidenhead, or across Berkshire and Buckinghamshire, our team operates verified anti-fraud procedures on every transaction. Get an Instant Quote or call 01628 777233.