Fraud risk is no longer confined to traditional anti-money laundering concerns. Solicitors’ practices now face a broad and evolving range of fraud risks, including mortgage and property fraud, bribery and corruption, tax fraud, client impersonation, cyber-enabled fraud and insider risk. Regulators, lenders, insurers and clients increasingly expect firms to demonstrate that they understand these risks and have taken reasonable, proportionate steps to prevent fraud.
Infolegal provides specialist fraud risk assessment, prevention and support services for solicitors, designed to help firms identify vulnerabilities, strengthen controls and demonstrate compliance with emerging legal and regulatory expectations.
The legal sector is recognised as a high-risk gateway for fraud. Conveyancing and property transactions remain a key target for organised crime groups, while economic crime more broadly has driven a significant shift in regulatory and legislative expectations. Solicitors are expected not only to avoid involvement in fraud, but to take active steps to identify, mitigate and prevent it.
Guidance from the Law Society of England and Wales highlights the importance of preparing for the new “failure to prevent fraud” offence and of embedding fraud risk assessment into firm-wide compliance frameworks. At the same time, the Solicitors Regulation Authority continues to focus on systems and controls, governance and supervision, particularly where fraud risks intersect with AML, client money protection and professional integrity.
While AML remains a core compliance obligation, many fraud risks fall outside the traditional scope of the Money Laundering Regulations. Mortgage and property fraud, for example, may involve forged documents, identity theft, dishonest intermediaries or misuse of client accounts, without necessarily triggering classic money laundering red flags.
Similarly, bribery and corruption risks can arise through referral arrangements, third-party introducers or improper financial incentives, while tax fraud risks may emerge in advisory work, transactions or trust and estate planning. In each case, the regulatory expectation is that firms understand how these risks arise in their own practice areas and take steps to control them.
Recent legislative developments have reinforced the concept that organisations, including professional services firms, may be held accountable for failing to prevent fraud committed by those associated with them. For law firms, this places renewed emphasis on fraud risk assessments, proportionate controls, training and documented procedures.
Infolegal supports firms in understanding how these duties apply in practice and how they interact with existing AML, risk management and governance obligations. This includes helping firms demonstrate that they have taken reasonable steps to prevent fraud, even where no wrongdoing has occurred.
Infolegal provides practical, solicitor-focused fraud risk support, drawing on extensive experience of regulatory compliance, risk management and professional discipline. Services include fraud risk assessments tailored to the firm’s size, structure and areas of work, together with advice on strengthening systems and controls across the practice.
We help firms identify where fraud risks may arise in conveyancing, corporate work, private client matters, financial transactions and internal processes. We then support the development of proportionate controls, policies and procedures that align with SRA expectations and wider legal obligations. Where appropriate, this work is delivered alongside specialists from Enderley Consulting, particularly where firms require additional input on fraud, corruption or economic crime risk.
Integration with the Infolegal InfoHub
A key benefit of using Infolegal’s fraud services is their integration with the Infolegal InfoHub. The InfoHub provides access to guidance notes, policies, checklists and training materials that support fraud prevention across the firm. Fraud risk assessments and recommendations can be aligned with existing AML frameworks, client onboarding procedures, training records and compliance logs, creating a joined-up and auditable approach.
This integration helps firms demonstrate that fraud prevention is embedded into everyday practice, rather than treated as a standalone or reactive exercise.
Firms that use Infolegal’s fraud risk services benefit from greater clarity about where their vulnerabilities lie and increased confidence that appropriate controls are in place. They are better positioned to protect client money, reduce exposure to lender and insurer claims, and demonstrate compliance to regulators and other stakeholders.
Most importantly, proactive fraud risk management supports a culture of integrity and vigilance across the firm. By addressing fraud risk holistically – across AML, property and mortgage work, bribery and corruption, tax fraud and wider economic crime – Infolegal helps solicitors move from reactive problem-solving to proactive, defensible fraud prevention, safeguarding both the practice and its reputation.
Please feel free get in touch with us. We will always do our best to get back to you as soon as possible and always within 1-2 business days.
