Stay safe online

Cyber criminals are becoming more sophisticated in the way they gain information and organisations, as well as individuals, have all been targeted; everyone is at risk and should remain cautious of unusual activity online, taking extra care of sensitive information. 

Our technical and organisational security measures are Cyber Essentials Plus and ISO27001 accredited to ensure we are following information and IT security best practices. We have clear policies for data protection, information security and data handling and transmission to protect against common cyber-attacks. 

What’s a phishing scam?

Please be aware that fraudsters may pose as someone from our firm in order to involve you in a scam or a fraud. You could receive an email that looks like it comes from us asking you for personal information.  

What to look out for 

• impersonal greetings and probing questions 
• a phishing email may not be personally addressed to you but may begin with ‘Dear client’. The fraudster or fraudulent website may ask for lots of sensitive personal information, including bank details 
• bad spelling and formatting. The wording of the email may have poor grammar and spelling. The fake website may look slightly different with an alternative layout or misspelt words 
• communications which seek to put you under pressure to act quickly  
• transactions originating outside of the UK  
• emails or website addresses purportedly from this firm, but which do not end in 'brownejacobson.com' or 'brownejacobson-updates.com' 
• addresses for offices which are other than listed on our ‘Contact us’ page  
• requests for money or personal information about you when you do not already have an ongoing matter with this firm 
• attachments or web links – We would suggest that you do not open attachments or follow web links that you are unsure about as they may harm your computer or other device. In some cases, even opening the email could be harmful to your device.  

If you receive a call which you are unsure about, take the time to verify the caller particularly if they are seeking confirmation of confidential information. 

Please note that our bank account details will not change during the course of a transaction, and we will not change our bank details via email. If you have any concerns at all, please contact us by telephone as we cannot be held responsible for any monies transferred to an incorrect bank account. 

Report it 

If you receive a phishing email, stay calm. There is no risk in receiving it. Forward any suspected suspicious emails purporting to be on behalf of Browne Jacobson to compliance@brownejacobson.com and then delete it. 

More information 

We recommend that you keep your anti-virus and anti-malware software up to date to reduce the risk of being caught out by online scams. 

More information about scams and frauds, as well as how you can keep yourself safe online, can be found at: 

Solicitors Regulation Authority 

British Metropolitan Police 

National Cyber Security Centre