Scam library · Small business · Email & phishing
Trademark and USPTO impostor scam
If you've filed a trademark, your name and address are public. Soon after, letters and emails arrive with official-sounding names and seals, asking for fees to 'record', 'monitor' or 'renew' your mark.
The USPTO warns that these private companies' notices are often misleading. Some impersonate the USPTO itself.
What the message looks like
From: Letter from 'Trademark Registration Office of America'
RE: Trademark serial no. 98-XXXXXX. Annual registration and publication fee due: $1,780.
Payment must be received within 15 days to maintain your publication. (Fine print: this is not a government agency.)
How this scam works
The notices may use names that sound governmental, cite real application numbers and include due dates. Some charge for services that offer little or no value, like listing your mark in a private registry.
Scammers have also posed as USPTO employees by phone and email, claiming problems with an application and demanding payment, or offering help with a 'rejected' filing.
Official USPTO correspondence comes from an email address ending in @uspto.gov, and fees are paid through the USPTO's own systems.
Because trademark filings are public records, the notices can arrive for years, especially around renewal deadlines. Keeping a simple calendar of your real deadlines and your attorney's contact details makes it easy to ignore the noise and focus on what actually matters.
Red flags
- Official-sounding names that aren't the 'United States Patent and Trademark Office'.
- Fees for 'registries', 'publication' or 'monitoring'.
- Short deadlines and threats of losing your mark.
- Email not ending in @uspto.gov.
- Payment requested by wire or to a private account.
How to tell it’s fake
- Check your trademark status on the USPTO's website.
- Read the USPTO's list of misleading notices.
- If you have an attorney of record, the USPTO normally contacts them, not you.
- Compare the sender's name, address and website with the USPTO's own published examples of misleading notices. If it's on the list, or isn't from the USPTO at all, you don't need to pay it.
- When in doubt, ask your trademark attorney before paying anything.
What to do if you clicked, paid or shared info
Don’t panic, and don’t blame yourself. These scams are built by professionals. Act quickly, one step at a time.
If you clicked a link or called back
- Don't pay. Report the notice to the USPTO and ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
If you paid
- If you paid, contact your bank or card issuer to dispute the charge.
If you shared personal info, a password or a code
- If you shared login details for your USPTO account, change your password and enable two-factor authentication.
Where to report and get help (U.S.)
If a message seems legit and you’re still not sure, get a second opinion before you act. Reporting helps stop scammers, even if money can’t be recovered. If you are in danger, call 911.
- Your bank or card issuer
Call the number on the back of your card or on your statement, not one from the message. Ask them to stop or reverse the payment and to watch the account. - Federal Trade Commission (FTC) · ReportFraud.ftc.gov
Report the scam and get a step-by-step recovery plan. - FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) · ic3.gov
Report scams that happened online, especially if money was lost. Include phone numbers, websites and payment details. - AARP Fraud Watch Network Helpline · aarp.org helpline
Free, for anyone of any age: trained volunteers help you sort out next steps. 877-908-3360, Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern. - IdentityTheft.gov · IdentityTheft.gov
If you shared your Social Security number or someone opened accounts in your name.
How Gmork Scam Guard would warn you
Scam Guard runs in Chrome and Edge on your computer and checks trademark emails you have open in Gmail or Outlook on the web. It flags senders that aren't @uspto.gov and fee pages that only pretend to be government sites. If a notice seems legit, check with your attorney or a scam expert before paying.
Scam Guard can miss things, so the checks above still matter. See what it warns about and what it keeps private.
Questions people ask
- Does the USPTO send renewal reminders?
- The USPTO may send courtesy reminders by email from @uspto.gov, but fees are paid through its own systems.
- Why do I get so many trademark letters?
- Trademark filings are public, so private companies mail owners solicitations.
- Is every private service a scam?
- Not all, but many offer little value. Compare with what the USPTO provides.