Birmingham Law School launches free legal advice for victims of fraud
Victims of fraud will be able to access free legal advice at the University of Birmingham’s Fraud Clinic.
Victims of fraud will be able to access free legal advice at the University of Birmingham’s Fraud Clinic.
Members of the public who have been victims of fraud will be able to access free legal advice at the University of Birmingham’s Fraud Clinic.
In September last year, the Financial Ombudsman Service revealed that fraud and scam complaints hit their highest-ever level. UK Finance also revealed this year that fraud cases rose by 16% with scammers stealing more than £3 million a day.
Now, people who have been victims of identity or financial fraud can access free legal advice thanks to a new clinic launched by the University of Birmingham and Birmingham-based law firm Tenet Law.
If you are a victim of fraud, it is important to know what legal action you can take, which can feel overwhelming. Our clinic provides a judgement-free space to get free legal advice, so people know what legal tools are at their disposal, should they need them.
Amy Tabari, Assistant Professor, Solicitor and Deputy Head of the Centre for Employability, Professional Legal Education and Research (Pro Bono) at Birmingham Law School said: “From phone scams, phishing emails and false social media password security alerts our technology provides a multitude of ways for people to steal our identity, clone our bankcards or convince us to hand over significant sums of money.
“When you realise you have been scammed it can feel embarrassing or isolating, but victims of fraud are not alone. There are more victims of fraud than any other type of crime. It can happen to anyone at any time. If you are a victim of fraud, it is important to know what legal action you can take, which can feel overwhelming. Our clinic provides a judgement-free space to get free legal advice, so people know what legal tools are at their disposal, should they need them.”
Victims will be able to get advice, from Birmingham Law School students, supervised by a lawyer. After a meeting, clients will get a letter of advice so that they know what support and action will help them with their case.
The clinic is open once a month during term time.
My advice to people who find they have become a victim is fraud is that you are not alone, to tell someone and ask for help, and get legal advice. It can make a real difference and help you get back at least some of what you might have lost.
Fraudsters can be very sophisticated, as Sally (not her real name) found out when she was targeted by a scammer who took over £2,500 from her. She said: “In June 2023 I was the victim of fraud. A sophisticated fraudster targeted me by pretending to be my daughter. I received a text message saying ‘My screens gone from dropping my phone, Mum. Please text me on my new number when you get this.’
“I responded and expressed concern that the phone had been broken. From this point onwards the fraudster created a situation where I thought my daughter was in trouble and this resulted in me making payments to the fraudster thinking that it was my daughter who needed help. I transferred over £2,500 to the fraudster.”
After she realised what had happened, Sally contacted the bank to try to get her money back. However, she felt they were unsupportive, and they would only give her a third of her money back. She added: “The bank thought that I was somehow negligent and should not have transferred the money. This was very distressing. They kept playing for time and dragging it out! I feel strongly I was patronised by the fraud department at the bank, repeatedly asking the same questions for excessive amounts of time. It was a very unpleasant experience.”
Sally then sought legal help from Tenet Law, who were able to escalate her complaint and put all the relevant legislation and case law into the complaint, resulting in a full refund of the money the fraudster had scammed out of her.
Sally added: “My advice to people who find they have become a victim is fraud is that you are not alone, to tell someone and ask for help, and get legal advice. It can make a real difference and help you get back at least some of what you might have lost.”
Rebecca Craig, a solicitor from Tenet Law said: “Being a founding partner of the Birmingham Fraud Clinic has enriched our practice by fostering connections to local students and the wider community. We are dedicated to fraud prevention, and we see the Birmingham Fraud Clinic as an integral part of that. As the founding supervisory law firm, we've seen firsthand the impact of empowering students to apply their skills in support of vulnerable clients, and we are immensely proud of their accomplishments. The experience has not only strengthened our team’s skills but also reinforced our dedication to making a meaningful impact in our community and the legal profession.”
Amy concluded: “The last thing people want to worry about in the New Year is fraud, but this period often sees increased numbers of scams. It is important to stay vigilant and whilst there are things you can do to protect yourself from fraud, scammers can be sophisticated. If you have been a victim or fraud in the past, or find yourself being scammed, then our law students, supervised by legal experts and professionals are here to help.”
You can make an appointment and find out more about the Birmingham Fraud Clinic on our website