A recent case reported by the Irish Independent highlights just how sophisticated online fraud has become. A lawyer lost over €750,000 in an elaborate romance scam involving a fake Irish law firm. The fraudsters created a convincing website, legal documents, and even a solicitor persona, all to trick the victim into believing he was assisting a woman in recovering a fortune in diamonds.
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Lawyer conned out of more than €750,000 in romance scam involving diamonds and a fake Irish law firm
At SureCert, we know that fraud detection starts with data verification. Even professionals can fall victim when scams become this advanced. When people are being defrauded, they are often under a spell – believing what they want to be true. Breaking the spell of deception requires triangulating data, checking company registrations, verifying website legitimacy, and researching individuals across multiple sources.
When investigating this case, the Irish Independent reached out to SureCert for insight on how individuals and businesses can spot fraudulent activity and protect themselves from these types of scams.
Here are some simple checks to help spot fraud:
Verify company and solicitor registrations via official databases.
Check for anomalies on websites – broken links, spelling errors, fake addresses.
Research digital footprints – LinkedIn, Glassdoor, and news articles can reveal red flags.
Use reverse image searches to detect stolen or AI-generated photos.
At SureCert, we help businesses, financial institutions, and public sector organisations prevent fraud with AI-powered identity verification.
Want to learn how SureCert’s SureScore can help protect your business from fraud? Let’s talk.
Contact us at here or via info@surecert.com