Alerts

Warning: Emails have been sent misusing the name of Cheshire Estate and Legal Limited (trading as CEL Solicitors)

6 November 2025

Emails have been sent misusing the name of Cheshire Estate and Legal Limited (trading as CEL Solicitors)

What is the scam?

The SRA has been informed that emails have been sent to members of the public falsely purporting to be from a genuine firm of solicitors misusing the name of a genuine solicitor (see below).

The email seen by the SRA is in relation to returning supposedly lost funds.

The email address used to send the email was 'agent.andrewmason@gmail.com'.

Any business or transaction through the email addresses of 'agent.andrewmason@gmail.com' is not undertaken by a genuine solicitor authorised or regulated by the SRA.

Is there a genuine firm or person?

The SRA authorises and regulates a genuine firm of solicitors called Cheshire Estate & Legal Limited, which trades as CEL Solicitors based at 20 Chapel Street, Liverpool, L3 9AG. The genuine email domain used by the firm is @celsolicitors.co.uk. The firm's website address is www.celsolicitors.co.uk. The telephone number is 0151 909 8212.

Cheshire Estate and Legal Limited has confirmed that it does not have any connection to the emails or email address referred to in the above alert.

Cheshire Estate and Legal Limited does not employ a staff member called Andrew Mason.

The SRA authorises solicitors called Andrew Mason, none of whom are thought to have any connection with the emails referred to above.

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.