Three month’s ago ETSOS [1] (www.etsos.co.uk [2]) added the Lawyer Checker portfolio to its platform – thereby advocating its use. This enables the conveyancer to make further checks as to the true identity of the other firm’s solicitors to avoid transferring client money to bogus solicitors. This service is already available to ETSOS clients and new clients can get the service by making contact with davidopie@etsos.co.uk [3].
The Sunday Times of 21st July has further identified the need for this sort of risk check. “Scam alerts” from the SRA are up to 53 so far this year, compared to 21st in 2012. The ST goes into detail on a particular case study. It also confirmed with the SRA that “strongly urged solicitors acting for buyers to contact it before transferring large sums to an unknown law firm”.
In a wider context the Legal Ombudsman Service is reported to have received 7,600 complaints in the 12 months to the end of March 2013. Cases in the “failure to advise” category, which include a failure to carry out appropriate checks, accounted for 18% of the total.
For the conveyancer ETSOS already offers the widest property search choice, as well as insurance products, ID and AML checks and of course LawyerChecker. ETSOS offers one reliable, high technology platform with available account managers thus really simplifying the process, easing compliance and limiting risk.