Emails which attempt to trick lawyers into acting for foreign fraudsters (and eventually to be robbed) continue to hit New Zealand law firm inboxes. Recent examples include requests for assistance with debt collection from an ex-husband and an errant “business associate”. NZLS posts details on its website of all lawyer scam emails which it receives and also tries to point out some of the tell-tale phrases which can be used to detect attempted fraud. The following recent email is almost a “best of” compilation of the wording used (with some exceptions the grammar and spelling are better than normal):

Dear Counsel,
This is an official request for your legal consultation services. My name is Maria Santana, and I am in needs of a legal representation from your law firm regarding a breach of Loan agreement I had with a friend of mine. He needed this loan to complete an ongoing project he was handling at the time in your jurisdiction. I need legal advice and assistance to know the best way to handle this issue. If this is your area of practice, please contact me to provide you with further information.
Regards,
Maria Santana.