The Massachusetts Bar Association urges Massachusetts attorneys to be vigilant about recent scam reports involving IOLTA accounts.
There have been numerous e-mail messages sent bearing a forged return address. The messages allege that the recipient's IOLTA account has insufficient funds to pay an outstanding check and includes a .zip file attachment containing additional information and malware.
There is a strong possibility that these messages are part of a broader phishing attack targeted to legal professionals.
The full text of a message includes:
"Please see the attached Iolta report for 7448-1996.We received a check request in the amount of $19,521.42 for the above referenced file. However, the attached report reflects a $0 balance. At your earliest convenience, please advise how this request is to be funded."