Solicitors house buying fees are, in the vast majority of times, perfectly legitimate. However, over the years, there have been more and more cases of conveyancing fraud perpetuated and they can cost the buyer hundreds of thousands of pounds.
The first thing that you should do in order to stay safe and not fall victim to fake conveyancing solicitors scams is to check that your solicitor’s website is secure. If the website starts with ‘https’ then it is a secure site. If not, they may not be the best solicitors to use. There is a lot of money at stake and losing it would be devastating.
Next, having a named contact at the firm of solicitors you are using will also cut down on fraud. All the staff at the firm should be happy to verify that the person you are dealing with is a real person who actually works there. Check their website for details as well and if they are not listed in the ‘about us’ or ‘meet the team’ pages, then they may not be legitimate.
Emails can be unsecure and they are easily intercepted by those who know what they are doing. When this happens, the banking details of the conveyancer are often changed to the thief’s. If you receive emails from your conveyancer with different bank details, or a sudden change in payment terms for the property or for your solicitors fees for buying a house, be wary.
Many conveyancers have reverted to using fax machines as this is much more secure. Best of all, check your conveyancer’s credentials before instructing them.
Solicitors house buying fees are nothing to be worried about. No matter what your budget or what service you are looking for, you will find the ideal solicitor by comparing them at Conveyancing Index (https://www.conveyancingindex.co.uk).
We only have conveyancers on our panel who meet our exacting standards.
If you have queries, please don’t hesitate to contact us on 0203 874 2020.