New for 2024: If your business has an online presence and a public phone number, scammers are calling pretending to be the USPTO's Trademark Assistance Center and are even spoofing the Trademark Assistance Center's phone number. They are asking you to pay "government fees" over the phone. The USPTO will never call you on the phone and ask for money.
Additionally, scammers are also using email communications to impersonate the USPTO or related legal entities, demanding payments or personal information.
The information provided with a trademark application to the U.S Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is public record. There are a large number of unscrupulous organizations that take this data and mail invoices for worthless services or send documents that mimic the look and feel of official government documents.
You can safely ignore any paper letter you receive that includes official government data like the USPTO application serial number, the registration number, the International Class(es), filing dates, and other information that is publicly available from USPTO trademark application records.
Typically, these scams present offers related to (1) international trademark registration; (2) trademark monitoring services; (3) to record trademarks with U.S. Customs and Border Protection; and (4) to "register" trademarks in the company's own private registry.
Understanding and preparing against scams also involves knowing steps to address suspicious communications effectively.
These companies may use names that resemble the USPTO name, including, for example, one or more of the terms "United States," "U.S.," "Trademark," "Patent," "Registration," "Office," or "Agency." Many refer to other government agencies and sections of the U.S. Code. Most require "fees" to be paid.
To protect yourself, never share sensitive information or provide payment over the phone or email without independent verification of the request.
Steps to Protect Yourself
If you receive suspicious communications:
Do not engage: Avoid responding to the sender or caller.
Protect your information: Do not share personal, business, or trademark details.
Report the scam: Notify the appropriate authority, like the trademark office, to help prevent future occurrences. One option is forwarding scam emails to [email protected].
Here is a typical example:
Click on the links below to see a few more examples: