How can you check if a solicitor website is genuine, or a copycat site set up by scammers?
In recent years, a number of genuine solicitor websites have been cloned by scam companies pretending to be solicitors. The scam websites can look genuine and they often use logos and other information stolen from genuine solicitor websites.
In an effort to combat these copycat websites, the Solicitors Regulation Authority has launched a new digital badge for use on genuine solicitor websites.
The purpose of the badge is to confirm to the public that the website is operated by a genuine firm of solicitors and that the solicitors are regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (also known as the SRA).
Why is the SRA solicitor website badge important?
All solicitors must include on their website confirmation that they are regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority and must include the firm’s SRA number.
This information is, however, easily copied onto a scam website and doesn’t give any guarantee that the website that you are using is the website of regulated solicitors.
It is absolutely vital to know that when contacting a firm of solicitors you are doing just that: contacting regulated solicitors, not some scammers pretending to be solicitors.
Protecting the public: how does the SRA digital badge work?
The Solicitors Regulation Authority has developed the digital badge using special software which links directly to a solicitor’s verified and confirmed website. The digital badge will only display on websites which are verified by the SRA.
The SRA software is designed so that only regulated firms can display the digital badge. When a visitor clicks on the SRA badge they are taken to a special link on the SRA website which tells website visitors that the website is verified and operated by a regulated firm, as well as information on the protections this provides.
Every time you visit a solicitor’s website look for the digital badge and use it check that the site you are using is the solicitor’s genuine website and not a copy-cat site.
Check our website
Beckett & Co is fully regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority under SRA number: 348232. We are therefore very pleased to display the SRA digital badge on our site.
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