Alerts

Warning: Correspondence misusing the name of Mills & Reeve LLP and Adam Benjamin Williams

25 July 2025

Correspondence has been sent misusing the name of Mills & Reeve LLP and Adam Benjamin Williams in relation to facilitating the transportation of high-value commodities.

What is the scam?

A member of the public has received emails, documents and messages via Telegram misusing the name of a genuine solicitor and a genuine firm of solicitors (see below). The emails seen by the SRA are in relation to a purported 'Change of Ownership Agreement' for certain high value diamonds and gold bullions. The emails and messages were purportedly sent from 'Adam Benjamin Williams, Mills & Reeves LLP' and 'Adam Benjamin Williams'   using the email addresses 'atty@williamsscholeslawfirm.com' and 'atty@adambenjaminwilliams.com'.

The 'Change of Ownership Agreement' and 'Revenue Sharing Agreement' misuse the logo and watermark of the genuine firm Mills & Reeve LLP. The 'Revenue Sharing Agreement' also misuses the name of Adam Benjamin Williams where the signatures on the document are to be witnessed.

Any business or transaction through the above email addresses 'atty@williamsscholeslawfirm.com' and 'atty@adambenjaminwilliams.com' are not undertaken by a firm or individual authorised and regulated by the SRA.

Is there a genuine firm or person?

The SRA authorises and regulates a genuine firm of solicitors called Mills & Reeve LLP. The genuine firm's email domain is @mills-reeve.com. The firm's genuine website is 'www.mills-reeve.com' and the genuine contact number for their head office address 020 7648 9259.

The SRA also authorises and regulates a genuine solicitor called Adam Benjamin Williams, whose SRA ID is 378250. The genuine Adam Benjamin Williams is employed as a partner at the genuine firm Mills & Reeve LLP.

The genuine solicitor Adam Benjamin Williams and the genuine firm Mills & Reeve LLP have confirmed that they do not have any genuine connection to the matter referred to in this alert.

What should I do?

When a firm's or individual's identity has been copied exactly (or cloned), due diligence is necessary. If you receive correspondence claiming to be from the above firm(s) or individual(s), or information of a similar nature to that described, you should conduct your own due diligence by checking the authenticity of the correspondence by contacting the law firm directly by reliable and established means. You can contact the SRA to find out if individuals or firms are regulated and authorised by the SRA and verify an individual's or firm's practising details. Other verification methods, such as checking public records (e.g. telephone directories and company records) may be required in other circumstances.