Trademark-Related USPTO Impersonation Scams on the Rise
Recently, the Federal Trade Commission warned that scammers are impersonating the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), targeting mostly small business owners who rely on trademarks to safeguard their brands.
After a trademark application is submitted to the USPTO, the applicant’s personal and filing details are made publicly available. While this openness supports transparency, it also creates opportunities for exploitation by dishonest third-parties. Increasingly, fraudsters are pretending to be officials from the USPTO in order to trick applicants into sending them money.
An exploited business or individual might receive a call, text, or email that appears urgent and official. The message may reference a real USPTO employee and/or display a convincing government seal. The scammers’ pitches vary. They might claim an application will be lost unless payment is made immediately. There have also been reports of claims that the trademark registration requires renewal or that a trademark was just approved and needs final payment.
The fraudsters may continue to add pressure to provide payment over the phone or through links in a message, often demanding credit card numbers, wire transfers, or gift cards. The World Trademark Review recently reported many domain registrations that include “uspto”. Despite how authentic the outreach may look, it never comes from the USPTO.
There are several preventive actions a potential target of these schemes can take to avoid falling victim, including the following:
Be skeptical of caller ID. It can be manipulated to look like a government number. You should confirm their authenticity independently by reaching out to your attorney or the USPTO’s Trademark Assistance Center.
Know how the USPTO operates: the agency does not collect fees by phone, text, or email, nor does it demand unusual payment methods like gift cards or apps. You should only submit payment and filings through the USPTO’s website.
Double-check the status of your trademark on your own. The USPTO’s official Trademark Status and Document Retrieval (TSDR) system provides accurate, real-time information. Assistance is also available through the Trademark Assistance Center at 1-800-786-9199.
If you encounter one of these fake contacts, file a report with the Federal Trade Commission.
The attorneys at Renner Otto are happy to address any questions or concerns you may have about protecting your valuable trademark assets. Contact us to schedule a consultation.