The new call comes after reports that Western Australian Attorney-General John Quigley’s identity was stolen by scammers and used in multiple emails purporting to be him. The emails claimed the A-G to be representing a deceased person who left US$4.3 million in a bank account and no will. The email phished for personal information from the recipients.
The scammers also used Mr Quigley’s name and image to launch a fake website purporting to be a law firm, dubbed JR’Quigley LEGAL, containing Mr Quigley’s address of ministerial offices at Dumas House in West Perth.
WA ScamNet was quick to shut down the site, determining that the criminals replicated website copy of a NSW-based law firm.
Commissioner for Consumer Protection Lanie Chopping said, “it is common for scammers to steal the identity of prominent people and celebrities to fool their targets into believing that their fake proposal is legitimate”.
“Beneficiary scams are fairly common and the scammer normally masquerades as a lawyer, so in this case they want to add some authenticity to the con by stealing the identity of a prominent lawyer, in this case WA’s attorney-general,” Ms Chopping said.
