Fraudulent and Scam Emails
1. Purpose of This Notice
IVLF Advisors LLC (“IVLF”) publishes this notice to help clients, business contacts, job applicants, and members of the public recognize and avoid fraudulent communications that misuse our name, brand, or the identities of our personnel.
2. Be Aware of Impersonation Scams
We are aware that fraudsters sometimes impersonate law firms and advisory firms, including IVLF, by using our name, logo, letterhead, or the identities of our real partners and staff, in order to deceive individuals or businesses into making payments, disclosing sensitive information, or taking other harmful action. These scams may target existing clients, prospective clients, job applicants, or members of the public who have never interacted with IVLF.
3. Common Scam Tactics
- Advance-fee fraud: requesting an upfront “processing,” “release,” “clearance,” or “tax” fee before funds, an inheritance, a lottery prize, or a legal settlement can supposedly be transferred to you;
- Fake job offers: offering employment, internship, or “brand ambassador” positions at IVLF in exchange for a fee, security deposit, or personal financial information, or requesting payment for supposed training materials or equipment;
- Look-alike domains and addresses: sending emails from addresses that closely resemble, but are not, our official domains (for example, substituting characters or using an unrelated top-level domain);
- Fake invoices: sending invoices for services never rendered, or altering legitimate invoices to redirect payment to unfamiliar bank accounts;
- Impersonation on messaging apps: contacting individuals via WhatsApp, Zalo, Telegram, or similar platforms while claiming to represent IVLF or one of our partners; and
- Fake legal notices or debt collection: sending communications that falsely claim to be legal notices, subpoenas, or debt collection demands issued by or on behalf of IVLF.
4. Warning Signs to Watch For
Be cautious of any communication that: creates a false sense of urgency or pressure to act immediately; asks you to keep the communication confidential or avoid verifying it independently; requests payment via wire transfer, cryptocurrency, or gift cards; contains spelling or grammatical errors inconsistent with professional correspondence; or asks for sensitive personal, banking, or identification information that would not ordinarily be required at that stage of a relationship.
5. How to Verify Communications From IVLF
Genuine communications from IVLF will only come from our official domains, ivlf-lawyer.com and ivlf-advisors.com. Always check the sender’s full email address carefully, not just the display name, and be cautious of unexpected attachments, links, or requests for payment. If you are ever in doubt about the authenticity of a communication, do not reply to it; instead, contact us directly using the details on our official Contact page to verify before taking any action.
6. What IVLF Will Never Do
IVLF will never: ask you to make payments into unfamiliar personal bank accounts; request upfront “release,” “clearance,” or “processing” fees through unofficial channels; offer employment in exchange for payment or personal financial details; ask for your online banking credentials, one-time passwords, or full payment card details over email, chat, or phone; or pressure you to act immediately without the opportunity to verify the request.
7. If You Receive a Suspicious Message
Do not click any links, open any attachments, or make any payment. Do not reply directly to the suspicious message, and do not call any phone number provided within it. Instead, independently locate our verified contact details (for example, from this website) and contact us to confirm whether the communication is genuine.
8. If You Have Already Responded or Made a Payment
If you believe you have already disclosed sensitive information or made a payment in response to a fraudulent communication purporting to be from IVLF, we recommend that you contact your bank or payment provider immediately to attempt to stop or reverse the transaction, change any passwords or credentials that may have been compromised, and consider reporting the matter to your local police or cybercrime authority, in addition to notifying IVLF as described below.
9. Reporting a Scam
If you believe you have received a fraudulent communication claiming to be from IVLF, or if you have been the victim of a scam impersonating our firm, please report it to us at info@ivlf-advisors.com, including as much detail as possible (such as the sender’s email address, phone number, and any messages received), so that we can investigate and, where appropriate, take further action, including notifying relevant authorities.
10. Contact Us
For any questions about this notice, or to verify a communication you have received, please contact us at info@ivlf-advisors.com or through our Contact page.