Even in 1972, the scammers were calling
Today’s scams targeting lawyers often involve spoofed emails, cloned checks, and criminals who can fake a bank, a client, or even the Bar itself with a few keystrokes.
The technology has evolved, but the impulse has not. As The Florida Bar marks its 75th year, the News is revisiting moments from the Bar’s early years to show that fraudsters have long viewed lawyers as tempting marks — and that vigilance has always been part of the job.
In March 1972, long before phishing links and wire-transfer fraud became household terms, Executive Director Marshall Cassedy used his “BRIEF-ly yours” column in the Journal to warn members about a scam making the rounds, one involving collect phone calls, Western Union wires, and a supposed injured seaman in need of quick cash.
The details may feel quaint by today’s standards, but the lesson remains timeless. What follows is the warning as it originally appeared.
LAWYERS ARE NOT IMMUNE to fraudulent schemes. A St. Petersburg lawyer warns fellow members of the Bar (especially those residing in port cities) of a recent fraud he uncovered. He accepted a collect telephone call from New York City from a man posing as an injured seaman, who implied that he wanted him as counsel in a damage suit against a vessel upon which he and two other seamen were seriously injured. The so-called seaman requested the lawyer to wire funds to him at Western Union in New York so that he and his two co-workers could travel to Florida. The St. Petersburg lawyer began checking some of his caller’s story and learned from Western Union that several checks a week came in for the “seaman,” one having come from a Tampa lawyer. When he did not receive the expected money, the “seaman” again telephoned the St. Petersburg lawyer, who told him he believed he was a fraud. Of course, the caller acted shocked and said he was going to check into whoever else was using his story. Needless to say, he was not heard from again. Members of the Bar may not hear of this particular scheme again, but they should check out similar schemes before advancing money to unknown persons.
