Brazen overseas scammers trying to fleece NZ lawyers

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What should be one of New Zealand's least gullible professions is becoming increasingly targeted by overseas scammers going to audacious lengths to fleece lawyers.

Dodgy propositions ranging from bogus divorce settlements to fake debt collection contracts from media mogul Rupert Murdoch are becoming more frequent, more creative and have the New Zealand Law Society on close watch.

In the latest ruse, several property lawyers have been asked to act on behalf of a scammer - identifying himself as London-based "Mike Garry" - in the purchase of a home at Pukehina Beach in the Bay of Plenty.

The scammer, backing up emails with an attached photo of a fake passport, purports to be moving to New Zealand with his family "in a few months" and says that he has been introduced to the vendors by a cousin who has viewed the house.

Targets are told their involvement in the sale would make the sellers "feel more comfortable" and are asked to supply their bank account details for money to be deposited into.

"While a lot of email scams contain very little New Zealand-specific information and are sent to lawyers around the world, this one is targeted right at New Zealand property lawyers," Law Society financial assurance manager Diane Bradley said.

The usual pattern for such scams was for the scammer to send a forged cheque, which was then banked by the lawyer.

"It is likely that the plan for this particular scam involves payment of the money in the lawyer's account to an accomplice."

Ms Bradley said lawyers were notifying her of different scams about twice a week and more so when a large scam was circulating.

She said the nature of lawyers' job could make them more at risk.

Asked if she was surprised scammers had gone after those as savvy as lawyers, Ms Bradley laughed and said: "I think they'll try any avenue, to be honest."

She said the dollar amounts were getting smaller so the old "too good to be true" adage was becoming a bit harder to spot - and the scams were becoming more plausible.

Legal ruses

* A scam email signed "Best Regards, Rupert Murdoch" asked lawyers to help recover a $578,000 loan from a New Zealand businessman named Robert Swanson.

* An email purporting to be from a divorced wife sought lawyers' help in collecting more than $600,000 from her 'ex-husband' residing in 'their jurisdiction'.