Scammers sometimes use our name. We have heard from people in several states who were contacted by someone posing as “Attorney Robert Parker,” using photos and credentials copied from this website. As recently as this week, a person in another state told us they were scammed out of $10,000 by someone using our firm’s name. These operations move between phone numbers and accounts faster than anyone can shut them down, so the honest answer is that we cannot stop them at the source. What we can do is make it easy to check.
If someone claiming to be “Attorney Robert Parker” or “Parker & Parker” has contacted you about a prize, a sweepstakes, a delivery fee, or anything that requires you to send money first, that is not us. Here is how to know the difference.
What This Scam Looks Like
- The impersonators reach people on WhatsApp and through Google Voice numbers, often with out-of-state or overseas area codes. We have seen numbers tied to Seattle, Virginia, and Jamaica.
- They use the name “Robert Parker”, and sometimes other names, and they may claim to be lawyers.
- They tell people they have won money, a sweepstakes, or a Publishers Clearing House prize.
- They ask for a fee, gift cards, or a wire to release the winnings. People have lost thousands of dollars this way.
How We Actually Contact People
- We call from (309) 673-0069, or we have you call us there.
- Our email addresses end in @parkerandparkerattorneys.com. Every one of them.
- We send mail from 300 NE Perry Ave., Peoria, Illinois 61603.
- We meet clients by phone, at our office, or sometimes at your home or care facility when you cannot travel.
What We Will Never Do
- We will never contact you on WhatsApp.
- We will never tell you that you won money, a sweepstakes, or a Publishers Clearing House prize.
- We will never ask you to pay a fee, buy gift cards, or send money to collect winnings. That is the scam, every time.
- We will never pressure you to keep a conversation secret.
How to Verify a Real Illinois Lawyer in Two Minutes
Robert Parker is licensed by the State of Illinois, ARDC No. 6300514. Anyone can verify any Illinois lawyer for free at the ARDC’s public lookup at iardc.org. If a person who claims to be a lawyer contacts you and their name, photo, and license number do not line up there, walk away.
The FBI has publicly warned about scammers impersonating law firms. You can read its alert at the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center. Seeing the warning from a national source is one more way to confirm this pattern is a known scam, not a message from us.
If You Have Been Contacted by an Impersonator
- Do not send money, and stop responding.
- Report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov, and if money changed hands, the FBI’s IC3.gov.
- If you are local and unsure, call us at (309) 673-0069 and ask. We would rather take a hundred “is this real?” calls than have one neighbor lose money to someone wearing our name.
If you sent money to someone impersonating a law firm, you are not foolish and you are not alone. These operations are professional. Report it, and tell your bank immediately.