Conveyancing email scams: how to verify payment instructions safely
Key takeaways
• Do not trust new bank details sent only by email, even if the message appears to come from your solicitor.
• Verify account name, sort code, account number, amount and payment reference by calling the firm on a trusted number.
• Do not use contact information supplied in the message requesting payment.
• The SRA has warned about emails misusing Smithfield Partners’ name and details in a conveyancing scam alert.
• If you think money or account details may be at risk, contact your bank and conveyancer immediately.
Conveyancing email scams: how to verify payment instructions safely
A convincing email or phone call can imitate a solicitor, estate agent or client and redirect a property payment to a criminal’s account. Before sending a deposit or completion funds, confirm the instructions independently with your conveyancer.
The Solicitors Regulation Authority has issued a scam alert about emails misusing Smithfield Partners’ name and details. This guide explains how to check messages and payment details safely. Use contact details obtained independently from the firm’s official website, not details supplied in an unexpected message.
How do conveyancing payment scams work?
Fraudsters may impersonate a solicitor or intercept an email conversation, then send convincing instructions with a different bank account. A message may copy a real firm’s name, logo, staff details or a genuine transaction. A familiar email thread is not proof that payment details are genuine.
The SRA’s October 2026 alert reports emails misusing Smithfield Partners’ name and details in a conveyancing matter. It describes payment instructions directing recipients to transfer funds to an account. The SRA says the individuals named in the alert confirmed they had no connection to those emails. Read the official SRA scam alert and check every payment request independently.
How to verify conveyancing bank details before paying
1. Find a trusted contact route first
Use the telephone number saved from an earlier conversation, printed on your engagement letter, or listed on the firm’s official website. Smithfield Partners’ published telephone number is +44 1582 386 690. Do not use a number supplied in the payment request or a search advert.
2. Call to confirm the account details
Before making a transfer, call the trusted number and speak to your conveyancer or the firm’s accounts team. Ask them to confirm the account name, sort code, account number, reference and amount. If any detail differs from what you were given before, stop and resolve the difference before paying.
3. Treat changes as a warning sign
Be especially cautious if an email says the firm has changed banks, asks for payment urgently, requests secrecy, splits a large transfer into smaller payments, or tells you to ignore earlier instructions. Do not reply to the message or click its links to verify it.
A phone call can also be spoofed. If a caller gives new details, end the call and ring the number you already trust. Caller ID alone does not prove who is calling.
4. Check the full email address and message
Inspect the complete sender address, not only the display name. Look for misspellings, extra words or a slightly different web domain. Check whether the message unexpectedly changes the payment process or asks you to share passwords, security codes or banking information. Forward concerns to your solicitor using a trusted route rather than replying.
5. Confirm that the payment is expected
Check the amount, recipient and timing against your latest completion statement or other paperwork. If the amount is unexpected, the payee name differs or you are asked to act before receiving the usual documents, pause and contact your solicitor independently.
6. Protect your email and payment process
Use a unique password for your email account and turn on multifactor authentication where available. Keep devices updated. Avoid using public Wi Fi for banking, and never share a one time passcode with someone who contacts you.
7. Keep a record of the confirmation
After verifying details by phone, note the date, the person you spoke with and the instructions confirmed. Follow any extra verification process your firm requires before making a large transfer.
If you have already sent money or shared details
Act immediately. Call your bank using the number on your card or its official website and ask it to try to stop or recall the payment. Tell your conveyancer using independently confirmed contact details. Preserve the email, attachments, text messages and call details.
• Call your bank’s fraud team and ask it to try to stop or recall the transfer.
• Call your conveyancer on a number obtained independently and explain what happened.
• Save the original email, attachment, phone number, account details and payment reference.
• Follow the bank’s instructions and ask whether your email or online banking access needs to be secured.
• Report the suspected fraud to the police or appropriate fraud reporting service.
• Preserve the evidence and avoid contacting the suspected fraudster to investigate.
• Warn other people involved in the transaction using a trusted contact route.
What to do if you receive a suspicious payment message
Do not click links, open unexpected attachments, reply, or transfer money while you check. Contact your conveyancer using a number from a trusted source and ask whether the message is genuine. If you cannot reach them, use the firm’s published main number and ask for the person handling your matter.
Does the genuine firm email you new bank details?
Do not rely on email alone to verify changed bank details. Call your conveyancer using a number you independently confirmed and ask them to verify the instructions before you transfer money. If a message says the firm has changed its account, treat it as suspicious until checked.
How do I confirm Smithfield Partners’ contact details?
Use the contact details shown on Smithfield Partners’ official website or in paperwork you already trust. The firm’s published telephone number is +44 1582 386 690. Do not use a different number or email address included only in a message asking you to send funds.
If a payment message seems unusual, stop and verify it using a telephone number found independently on Smithfield Partners’ official website. Never follow new bank instructions until the firm confirms them directly.
A simple payment safety checklist
Before each property payment, use a trusted phone number, speak to your conveyancer, confirm the recipient and account details, check the amount against your paperwork and stop if anything has changed unexpectedly. Verify changes through a second trusted route before acting.
Smithfield Partners can confirm the payment process for your matter. Call +44 1582 386 690 using the number on the firm’s official website. Read the SRA alert for details of the reported impersonation. Never rely on bank details sent in an unexpected email.
Conveyancing payment safety frequently asked questions
How do I verify a conveyancing payment request?
Call your conveyancer on a number you already trust, such as the published number on the firm’s official website or your engagement documents. Independently confirm the payee and every bank detail before transferring money.
Should I trust a familiar email thread?
No. An email conversation can be compromised. Verify payment instructions by calling your conveyancer through an independently confirmed number, especially if details change.
What should I do if the bank details have changed?
Do not transfer money until you have checked the change independently. Call the firm using a trusted number and ask the person handling your matter to confirm the details.
What if I have already made the transfer?
Call your bank’s fraud team immediately and ask if it can stop or recall the payment. Then contact your conveyancer using a trusted number and preserve all messages and payment records.
Where can I read the SRA warning about Smithfield Partners?
The SRA published an alert about emails misusing the names and details of Smithfield Partners Limited. Read the official SRA alert and use contact details published by Smithfield Partners independently.
This article provides general information and is not legal advice or a substitute for a bank’s fraud reporting process. If a payment request concerns a live conveyancing matter, verify it with your solicitor through an independently confirmed contact route.
Key takeaways
• Do not trust new bank details sent only by email, even if the message appears to come from your solicitor.
• Verify account name, sort code, account number, amount and payment reference by calling the firm on a trusted number.
• Do not use contact information supplied in the message requesting payment.
• The SRA has warned about emails misusing Smithfield Partners’ name and details in a conveyancing scam alert.
• If you think money or account details may be at risk, contact your bank and conveyancer immediately.
Conveyancing email scams: how to verify payment instructions safely
A convincing email or phone call can imitate a solicitor, estate agent or client and redirect a property payment to a criminal’s account. Before sending a deposit or completion funds, confirm the instructions independently with your conveyancer.
The Solicitors Regulation Authority has issued a scam alert about emails misusing Smithfield Partners’ name and details. This guide explains how to check messages and payment details safely. Use contact details obtained independently from the firm’s official website, not details supplied in an unexpected message.
How do conveyancing payment scams work?
Fraudsters may impersonate a solicitor or intercept an email conversation, then send convincing instructions with a different bank account. A message may copy a real firm’s name, logo, staff details or a genuine transaction. A familiar email thread is not proof that payment details are genuine.
The SRA’s October 2026 alert reports emails misusing Smithfield Partners’ name and details in a conveyancing matter. It describes payment instructions directing recipients to transfer funds to an account. The SRA says the individuals named in the alert confirmed they had no connection to those emails. Read the official SRA scam alert and check every payment request independently.
How to verify conveyancing bank details before paying
1. Find a trusted contact route first
Use the telephone number saved from an earlier conversation, printed on your engagement letter, or listed on the firm’s official website. Smithfield Partners’ published telephone number is +44 1582 386 690. Do not use a number supplied in the payment request or a search advert.
2. Call to confirm the account details
Before making a transfer, call the trusted number and speak to your conveyancer or the firm’s accounts team. Ask them to confirm the account name, sort code, account number, reference and amount. If any detail differs from what you were given before, stop and resolve the difference before paying.
3. Treat changes as a warning sign
Be especially cautious if an email says the firm has changed banks, asks for payment urgently, requests secrecy, splits a large transfer into smaller payments, or tells you to ignore earlier instructions. Do not reply to the message or click its links to verify it.
A phone call can also be spoofed. If a caller gives new details, end the call and ring the number you already trust. Caller ID alone does not prove who is calling.
4. Check the full email address and message
Inspect the complete sender address, not only the display name. Look for misspellings, extra words or a slightly different web domain. Check whether the message unexpectedly changes the payment process or asks you to share passwords, security codes or banking information. Forward concerns to your solicitor using a trusted route rather than replying.
5. Confirm that the payment is expected
Check the amount, recipient and timing against your latest completion statement or other paperwork. If the amount is unexpected, the payee name differs or you are asked to act before receiving the usual documents, pause and contact your solicitor independently.
6. Protect your email and payment process
Use a unique password for your email account and turn on multifactor authentication where available. Keep devices updated. Avoid using public Wi Fi for banking, and never share a one time passcode with someone who contacts you.
7. Keep a record of the confirmation
After verifying details by phone, note the date, the person you spoke with and the instructions confirmed. Follow any extra verification process your firm requires before making a large transfer.
If you have already sent money or shared details
Act immediately. Call your bank using the number on your card or its official website and ask it to try to stop or recall the payment. Tell your conveyancer using independently confirmed contact details. Preserve the email, attachments, text messages and call details.
• Call your bank’s fraud team and ask it to try to stop or recall the transfer.
• Call your conveyancer on a number obtained independently and explain what happened.
• Save the original email, attachment, phone number, account details and payment reference.
• Follow the bank’s instructions and ask whether your email or online banking access needs to be secured.
• Report the suspected fraud to the police or appropriate fraud reporting service.
• Preserve the evidence and avoid contacting the suspected fraudster to investigate.
• Warn other people involved in the transaction using a trusted contact route.
What to do if you receive a suspicious payment message
Do not click links, open unexpected attachments, reply, or transfer money while you check. Contact your conveyancer using a number from a trusted source and ask whether the message is genuine. If you cannot reach them, use the firm’s published main number and ask for the person handling your matter.
Does the genuine firm email you new bank details?
Do not rely on email alone to verify changed bank details. Call your conveyancer using a number you independently confirmed and ask them to verify the instructions before you transfer money. If a message says the firm has changed its account, treat it as suspicious until checked.
How do I confirm Smithfield Partners’ contact details?
Use the contact details shown on Smithfield Partners’ official website or in paperwork you already trust. The firm’s published telephone number is +44 1582 386 690. Do not use a different number or email address included only in a message asking you to send funds.
If a payment message seems unusual, stop and verify it using a telephone number found independently on Smithfield Partners’ official website. Never follow new bank instructions until the firm confirms them directly.
A simple payment safety checklist
Before each property payment, use a trusted phone number, speak to your conveyancer, confirm the recipient and account details, check the amount against your paperwork and stop if anything has changed unexpectedly. Verify changes through a second trusted route before acting.
Smithfield Partners can confirm the payment process for your matter. Call +44 1582 386 690 using the number on the firm’s official website. Read the SRA alert for details of the reported impersonation. Never rely on bank details sent in an unexpected email.
Conveyancing payment safety frequently asked questions
How do I verify a conveyancing payment request?
Call your conveyancer on a number you already trust, such as the published number on the firm’s official website or your engagement documents. Independently confirm the payee and every bank detail before transferring money.
Should I trust a familiar email thread?
No. An email conversation can be compromised. Verify payment instructions by calling your conveyancer through an independently confirmed number, especially if details change.
What should I do if the bank details have changed?
Do not transfer money until you have checked the change independently. Call the firm using a trusted number and ask the person handling your matter to confirm the details.
What if I have already made the transfer?
Call your bank’s fraud team immediately and ask if it can stop or recall the payment. Then contact your conveyancer using a trusted number and preserve all messages and payment records.
Where can I read the SRA warning about Smithfield Partners?
The SRA published an alert about emails misusing the names and details of Smithfield Partners Limited. Read the official SRA alert and use contact details published by Smithfield Partners independently.
This article provides general information and is not legal advice or a substitute for a bank’s fraud reporting process. If a payment request concerns a live conveyancing matter, verify it with your solicitor through an independently confirmed contact route.
Key takeaways
• Do not trust new bank details sent only by email, even if the message appears to come from your solicitor.
• Verify account name, sort code, account number, amount and payment reference by calling the firm on a trusted number.
• Do not use contact information supplied in the message requesting payment.
• The SRA has warned about emails misusing Smithfield Partners’ name and details in a conveyancing scam alert.
• If you think money or account details may be at risk, contact your bank and conveyancer immediately.
Conveyancing email scams: how to verify payment instructions safely
A convincing email or phone call can imitate a solicitor, estate agent or client and redirect a property payment to a criminal’s account. Before sending a deposit or completion funds, confirm the instructions independently with your conveyancer.
The Solicitors Regulation Authority has issued a scam alert about emails misusing Smithfield Partners’ name and details. This guide explains how to check messages and payment details safely. Use contact details obtained independently from the firm’s official website, not details supplied in an unexpected message.
How do conveyancing payment scams work?
Fraudsters may impersonate a solicitor or intercept an email conversation, then send convincing instructions with a different bank account. A message may copy a real firm’s name, logo, staff details or a genuine transaction. A familiar email thread is not proof that payment details are genuine.
The SRA’s October 2026 alert reports emails misusing Smithfield Partners’ name and details in a conveyancing matter. It describes payment instructions directing recipients to transfer funds to an account. The SRA says the individuals named in the alert confirmed they had no connection to those emails. Read the official SRA scam alert and check every payment request independently.
How to verify conveyancing bank details before paying
1. Find a trusted contact route first
Use the telephone number saved from an earlier conversation, printed on your engagement letter, or listed on the firm’s official website. Smithfield Partners’ published telephone number is +44 1582 386 690. Do not use a number supplied in the payment request or a search advert.
2. Call to confirm the account details
Before making a transfer, call the trusted number and speak to your conveyancer or the firm’s accounts team. Ask them to confirm the account name, sort code, account number, reference and amount. If any detail differs from what you were given before, stop and resolve the difference before paying.
3. Treat changes as a warning sign
Be especially cautious if an email says the firm has changed banks, asks for payment urgently, requests secrecy, splits a large transfer into smaller payments, or tells you to ignore earlier instructions. Do not reply to the message or click its links to verify it.
A phone call can also be spoofed. If a caller gives new details, end the call and ring the number you already trust. Caller ID alone does not prove who is calling.
4. Check the full email address and message
Inspect the complete sender address, not only the display name. Look for misspellings, extra words or a slightly different web domain. Check whether the message unexpectedly changes the payment process or asks you to share passwords, security codes or banking information. Forward concerns to your solicitor using a trusted route rather than replying.
5. Confirm that the payment is expected
Check the amount, recipient and timing against your latest completion statement or other paperwork. If the amount is unexpected, the payee name differs or you are asked to act before receiving the usual documents, pause and contact your solicitor independently.
6. Protect your email and payment process
Use a unique password for your email account and turn on multifactor authentication where available. Keep devices updated. Avoid using public Wi Fi for banking, and never share a one time passcode with someone who contacts you.
7. Keep a record of the confirmation
After verifying details by phone, note the date, the person you spoke with and the instructions confirmed. Follow any extra verification process your firm requires before making a large transfer.
If you have already sent money or shared details
Act immediately. Call your bank using the number on your card or its official website and ask it to try to stop or recall the payment. Tell your conveyancer using independently confirmed contact details. Preserve the email, attachments, text messages and call details.
• Call your bank’s fraud team and ask it to try to stop or recall the transfer.
• Call your conveyancer on a number obtained independently and explain what happened.
• Save the original email, attachment, phone number, account details and payment reference.
• Follow the bank’s instructions and ask whether your email or online banking access needs to be secured.
• Report the suspected fraud to the police or appropriate fraud reporting service.
• Preserve the evidence and avoid contacting the suspected fraudster to investigate.
• Warn other people involved in the transaction using a trusted contact route.
What to do if you receive a suspicious payment message
Do not click links, open unexpected attachments, reply, or transfer money while you check. Contact your conveyancer using a number from a trusted source and ask whether the message is genuine. If you cannot reach them, use the firm’s published main number and ask for the person handling your matter.
Does the genuine firm email you new bank details?
Do not rely on email alone to verify changed bank details. Call your conveyancer using a number you independently confirmed and ask them to verify the instructions before you transfer money. If a message says the firm has changed its account, treat it as suspicious until checked.
How do I confirm Smithfield Partners’ contact details?
Use the contact details shown on Smithfield Partners’ official website or in paperwork you already trust. The firm’s published telephone number is +44 1582 386 690. Do not use a different number or email address included only in a message asking you to send funds.
If a payment message seems unusual, stop and verify it using a telephone number found independently on Smithfield Partners’ official website. Never follow new bank instructions until the firm confirms them directly.
A simple payment safety checklist
Before each property payment, use a trusted phone number, speak to your conveyancer, confirm the recipient and account details, check the amount against your paperwork and stop if anything has changed unexpectedly. Verify changes through a second trusted route before acting.
Smithfield Partners can confirm the payment process for your matter. Call +44 1582 386 690 using the number on the firm’s official website. Read the SRA alert for details of the reported impersonation. Never rely on bank details sent in an unexpected email.
Conveyancing payment safety frequently asked questions
How do I verify a conveyancing payment request?
Call your conveyancer on a number you already trust, such as the published number on the firm’s official website or your engagement documents. Independently confirm the payee and every bank detail before transferring money.
Should I trust a familiar email thread?
No. An email conversation can be compromised. Verify payment instructions by calling your conveyancer through an independently confirmed number, especially if details change.
What should I do if the bank details have changed?
Do not transfer money until you have checked the change independently. Call the firm using a trusted number and ask the person handling your matter to confirm the details.
What if I have already made the transfer?
Call your bank’s fraud team immediately and ask if it can stop or recall the payment. Then contact your conveyancer using a trusted number and preserve all messages and payment records.
Where can I read the SRA warning about Smithfield Partners?
The SRA published an alert about emails misusing the names and details of Smithfield Partners Limited. Read the official SRA alert and use contact details published by Smithfield Partners independently.
This article provides general information and is not legal advice or a substitute for a bank’s fraud reporting process. If a payment request concerns a live conveyancing matter, verify it with your solicitor through an independently confirmed contact route.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
If payment instructions change or seem unusual, pause and call your conveyancer using a number you obtained independently. Do not use contact details included in the message.
No. A familiar email thread can be compromised. Verify all payment details by calling your conveyancer through a trusted number before transferring funds.
Treat any unexpected change to bank details, urgent payment demand or request for secrecy as a warning sign. Stop and verify through a separate trusted route.
Keep the original email, attachments, sender address, phone number, payment reference and any messages. These records may help your bank, solicitor and the police assess what happened.
Yes. A solicitor familiar with local property issues can often identify potential concerns earlier and manage them more efficiently. Smithfield Partners regularly handles residential property matters and understands the importance of proactive communication throughout the transaction.
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