The bad guys are exceptionally good at this type of confidence trick and we find very well-informed clients have nearly fallen for this. The paperwork, the emails and phone calls are very professional and difficult to spot as fake on a first read.
There are no Nigerian generals with $100m to share in a poorly written email these days.
Helping customers that have potentially lost everything is also some of the most rewarding work our team has ever done.
It can be difficult and time-consuming and there is not much help out there from solicitors, the police or even regulators in some cases. It can feel like we are counsellors one day, forensic accountants the next, and solicitors the day after.
On the plus side, we have a wall filled with thank you cards from the customers and families we have helped over the years.
I find I can be in a supermarket or filling station with a colleague and someone will approach him with tears in their eyes, give him a hug and explain to me how he changed their life.
Needless to say, I have never had a hug or a thank you card from the wealthy families who have saved £1mn-plus in inheritance tax from the financial planning we helped them with.
Chris Bryans is a senior partner at Richmond Wealth, which is also affiliated with claims company Complaints SOS
