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Attorney advertising. TortMatics is a paid marketing service for participating law firms — not a law firm or lawyer referral service.

How can you spot a legal-claim scam?

Scammers copy real lawsuits and settlements to get money or personal details. Here are the warning signs, what legitimate firms and settlement programs do differently, and where to report a scam.

By TM Research TeamReviewed

Warning signs to watch for

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) lists four warning signs that apply to legal-claim scams too:

  • They pretend to be someone official: a court, a government agency, or a well-known law firm, sometimes with a faked caller ID
  • They say there's a problem or a prize: a missed deadline, a lawsuit against you, or a settlement check waiting for you
  • They push you to act right now: warnings that your claim will be lost if you don't respond today
  • They tell you how to pay: gift cards, wire transfers, payment apps, or cryptocurrency

What legitimate firms and programs don't do

A legitimate law firm or settlement program won't:

  • Ask you to pay to “join” a lawsuit or settlement. Contingency-fee firms are paid from any recovery, under a written agreement you sign
  • Ask for bank details, card numbers, or passwords before you've signed anything
  • Guarantee a settlement amount or date
  • Threaten you with arrest for not responding

Unexpected calls about a lawsuit

Under ABA Model Rule 7.3, which state rules are based on, lawyers generally can't solicit you by live call or in person about a matter they know you need help with, when money is a significant motive. State rules vary, and a service you asked to contact you may call you.

If someone calls out of the blue about a lawsuit, don't share details. Hang up, then contact the firm or program using contact details you found yourself.

How to check who you're dealing with

Before you share anything, check the source:

  • A lawyer: look up the lawyer's license on your state bar or attorney-licensing agency website
  • A settlement: find the official settlement website through the court notice or the court's own records, not a link in an unexpected text
  • TortMatics: we contact you only after you ask for a review, we never ask you for payment, and our emails come from tortmatics.com

If you think you've been targeted

Take these steps:

  1. Stop responding, and don't send money or documents
  2. If you paid, contact your bank or card company right away
  3. Report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov
  4. If someone used a lawyer's or firm's name, tell that firm and your state bar

Common questions

Is it a scam if a firm calls me after I filled out a form?

Not necessarily. If you asked for a review and agreed to be contacted, a participating firm may call you. You can still ask for the caller's name, firm, and bar number, and check them yourself.

Will a real settlement ask me for a fee before paying me?

Court-approved settlement administrators don't ask for gift cards or wire transfers to release a payment. If you're unsure, find the official settlement site through the court notice and contact the administrator directly.

See which claims are active

Each campaign page lists its court and agency sources. If a campaign is accepting reviews, you can ask a participating law firm to take a free first look.

Browse campaigns

Attorney advertising. TortMatics (FusionByte Media LLC) is not a law firm. This guide is general information, not legal advice. Laws differ by state, so talk to a licensed attorney about your situation.