I like the scam. Learn about a half million dollar settlement somehow, then spoof a series of emails to counsel for defendant -- here, Tyson & Mendes -- to get 'em to wire the check to a bogus account rather than to plaintiff.
Well played, scammers.
I also think that Justice Rubin and the trial court are both spot on. The fault here belongs to defendant, which is the party who was best in a position not to be scammed. So they -- or, more likely, their counsel (or its insurance company) -- has to pay the missing $475,000.
Again. This time, to the actual plaintiff, rather than a scammer.
