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Conveyancing Fraud UK: Stop “Friday Afternoon Fraud”

Establish the firm's bank details at the start and verify any new or changed instructions by a trusted phone number or in person, never by email alone.

· · · 2 min read

Quick answer: Conveyancing fraud swaps genuine bank details for a criminal's account partway through a property transaction, usually via compromised or imitated email. Get the firm's account details at the start and verify any change by a trusted phone number or in person, never by email alone. If money has gone to the wrong account, tell the sending bank immediately.
Key rule: verify through an official route you opened yourself, not the link, number, app, or payment details supplied by the suspicious message.
On this page
  1. What conveyancing fraud looks like
  2. Why the name is used
  3. Warning signs
  4. Verify payment details
  5. Check the firm in the correct jurisdiction
  6. Conveyancing Quality Scheme
  7. If money was sent to the wrong account
  8. Reporting in the UK

What conveyancing fraud looks like

A criminal compromises or imitates email between a client and conveyancer, then substitutes bank details for a deposit or completion payment. The attack may target the client, the law firm or both. It is often called “Friday afternoon fraud”, but it can happen on any day.

Why the name is used

The Law Society says the name reflects the fact that many conveyancing transactions take place on Friday afternoons. That does not establish that every attack occurs then or that Friday completions are the only risk.

Warning signs

  • New bank details appear late in the transaction.
  • The email domain or reply-to address differs subtly from previous correspondence.
  • The account name, bank location or contact details do not fit the firm.
  • The message uses the completion deadline to discourage verification.

A matching account name or an entry on a professional register helps but is not conclusive: the SRA warns that criminals may clone a real firm's identity.

Verify payment details

Obtain the firm's account details at the start, in person, by letter or by calling a trusted number. The Law Society advises confirming any change in person or over a trusted number. It and the SRA also suggest sending a small test amount and confirming receipt with a known contact before sending the larger balance.

Check the firm in the correct jurisdiction

The SRA and Law Society sources in this guide apply to England and Wales. Use the SRA Solicitors Register there. In Scotland, use the Law Society of Scotland's directory; in Northern Ireland, use the Law Society of Northern Ireland's directory. A directory result is one check, not proof that the email, phone number or bank account in front of you belongs to that firm.

Conveyancing Quality Scheme

In England and Wales, the Law Society's Conveyancing Quality Scheme is a quality standard for SRA-regulated residential-conveyancing firms and is required for some lender panels. It is not a guarantee against fraud and does not replace independent verification of payment details.

If money was sent to the wrong account

Contact the sending bank immediately and ask it to try to stop or recover the transfer. Tell the conveyancer at a previously verified number and preserve the emails and payment confirmation. Speed matters, but recovery is not guaranteed.

Reporting in the UK

Report the crime to Report Fraud at reportfraud.police.uk or 0300 123 2040 in England, Wales or Northern Ireland; in Scotland, call Police Scotland on 101. Report a cloned or bogus solicitor to the relevant professional regulator as well.

Frequently asked questions

Is a small test payment enough on its own?

No. Confirm receipt with the genuine firm through a trusted contact before sending the balance.

Does CQS accreditation guarantee the transaction is safe?

No. It is a quality standard, not insurance against a compromised mailbox or cloned identity.

Sources checked

Think you’ve spotted a scam? Use the AI scam checker for an automated second opinion, or report it to Report Fraud for England, Wales and Northern Ireland, or Police Scotland on 101 for Scotland.

Reporting routes in this guide are checked against our verified canon of official UK sources — Report Fraud for England, Wales and Northern Ireland, or Police Scotland on 101 for Scotland, the National Cyber Security Centre, and the consumer service for each nation — by an automated accuracy gate before publication. Editorially updated by , Founder & Editor, on 2026-07-10. Read about how Beat the Scam writes guides.