In connection with a cash purchase, the title agent was presented with a check purportedly from a legitimate Canadian law firm, Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP. This law firm has reported that fraudulent checks purporting to be from their firm are being used in attempts to purchase property.
Some of the red flags in the transaction reported to us were:
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the buyer wanted to sign the contract electronically,
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the deposit check (from the Canadian law firm) arrived in an unmarked envelope with no return address,
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the note on the check stub contained misspellings.
Fund members should be extra vigilant when handling cash transactions. Be alert for anything suspicious in the way the funds for the purchase come to you and in instructions you receive regarding the deposit or disbursement of the funds.