Ride the Lightning

Lawyer Phishing E-Mails Reference a Bar Complaint Against You

June 16, 2016

The Minnesota Lawyers Mutual insurance company recently issued an alert about a lawyer phishing scam in which lawyers received fraudulent e-mails with a subject saying something like "Ethics Complaint" or "Bar Complaint." They may also contain a return address or internal links such as or . The links apparently result in ransomware being placed on your network.

Because lawyers are terrified by bar complaints, they may be too quick to click, especially when the e-mail appear to come from their bar or bar association. There may also be an attachment purporting to contain the complaint. That too will contain ransomware.

I can understand your blood pressure soaring if you received such an e-mail, but breathe deeply and think before you react. To my knowledge, there is no bar or bar association that will make initial contact with you about a bar or ethics complaint via e-mail.

Phishing e-mails, once identified, should be deleted. If you must, call your bar or bar association to make sure there is no pending complaint – but under no circumstances should you open an attachment or click on a link in the e-mail. Once you've verified that that the e-mail is a fraud and deleted it, your blood pressure will return to normal. Probably slowly. I got one of these a while back – and there is a kneejerk "alarm" reaction. Human nature.

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