Mortgage fraud
Last updated: 24 October 2011
Practice notes
Useful resources
Solicitors play a crucial and most trusted role in the transfer of property in the UK. Criminals will try to exploit the professional services offered by solicitors to enable them to engage in mortgage fraud.
Even where a solicitor is unaware of the fraudulent activities of their client, they may find themselves criminally liable because of the wide definition of fraud in the Fraud Act 2006 and the extensive offences under anti-money laundering regulations.
The Law Society is committed to assisting solicitors in protecting themselves and their firms from being exploited.
Articles
Mortgage fraud: Not just a matter of consent
With media reports suggesting that the housing market may slowly be picking up and banks becoming willing to lend a little bit more, do solicitors still need to be on their guard for mortgage fraud? First published in the November 2009 issue of the Legal Compliance Bulletin .
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Anti-money laundering and mortgage fraud
Sole practitioners can be very attractive providers of legal services for clients who are looking for a very personalised service or someone has simply been the family solicitor for years. However, criminals may also see sole practitioners as an attractive target. First published in the December 2009 issue of SOLO Journal.
Read more
News articles
- Mortgage fraud update: June 2010
- The Law Society - actively preventing mortgage fraud for years
- Law Society warns of mortgage fraud peril
- Law Society press release
- SRA investigate 60 lawyers
- Mortgage fraud is funding terrorism, say police
- Mortgage fraud ? are you being targeted?
Help and resources
Mortgage fraud webinar
Hear about the latest methodologies and how you can protect your firm from being involved in mortgage fraud in our webinar, which was recorded on 9 November 2011.
Book now
Practice note
The Society has published a practice note to help you identify if mortgage fraud may be taking place. It has recently been updated to include new criminal methodologies emerging during the current recession. The practice note explains how you can protect you and your firm.
Read the practice note
Training
The Law Society has run a number of training seminars around the UK to cover mortgage fraud.
For the latest training and events, check the events calendar .
Case law
Pulvers (a firm) v Chan & Others [2007] EWHC 24006 (Ch)
This case highlights the liability of partners in firms where mortgage fraud has occurred and their ability to claim against individual employees who have been actively involved in the fraud.