Chambliss, Bahner & Stophel is warning clients and business contacts to be on guard after discovering a scam in which someone impersonated one of the firm’s attorneys in an apparent attempt to obtain sensitive information.
In a letter sent to clients and friends of the firm, president and managing shareholder Steve Barham said the firm recently identified a fraudulent text message sent from an unfamiliar phone number that appeared to come from a Chambliss attorney.
“The message appears to be designed to initiate a seemingly routine conversation, with the ultimate goal of extracting confidential information, privileged case details, financial data, or other sensitive materials,” Barham wrote, adding that other law firms have reported similar attempts.
Not a data breach
Barham emphasized that the incident was not the result of a breach of the firm’s computer systems.
“This is not a breach of our systems,” he wrote. “It is a targeted social engineering attack – one that relies not on hacking our servers but on exploiting trust.”
He said attackers are attempting to capitalize on clients’ familiarity with attorneys by sending messages that appear legitimate.
“We cannot control or prevent bad actors outside our firm from spoofing names, numbers or even email domains,” Barham wrote. “What we can do is arm you with the awareness and habits necessary to protect yourself, your matter and the confidentiality that is the foundation of our relationship and industry.”
Firm urges verification of unexpected messages
Chambliss is encouraging clients to treat unexpected text messages from unfamiliar phone numbers with skepticism, even if they appear to come from someone at the firm.
Among its recommendations, the firm advises clients to independently verify unfamiliar phone numbers by calling Chambliss’ main office, move sensitive conversations to email whenever possible, carefully examine email addresses rather than relying on displayed names and never provide confidential information or financial details in response to unsolicited or unverified messages.
Barham also urged clients to contact the firm directly whenever a communication seems unusual or requests sensitive information.
“We would rather confirm 10 legitimate messages than have a single fraudulent one succeed,” he wrote.
The firm asked clients to share the advisory with others in their organizations who regularly communicate with Chambliss attorneys or staff, saying increased awareness is one of the best defenses against sophisticated impersonation scams.