There’s a new scam targeting business owners in the form of emails that claim someone is about to make a trademark registration attempt on their brand. This scam which presently operate by the name ‘Trademark Providers’ is a calculated ploy to make people pay for fake trademark monitoring services.
Over the past months, we’ve seen similar platforms ‘Trademark Blink’ ‘Trademark Omega’ ‘Stellar Trademark’ ‘Quality Trademark‘ etc. From our investigations and sources gathered from victims, here’s a breakdown of how Trademark Providers scam actually works.
How the Trademark Providers scam Actually Works
Trademark Providers send business owners emails that claim someone else is trying attempt trademark registration on the recipient’s brand. It is an advanced fee fraud that aims to steal money from people scared of copyright infringement.
The fraudsters impersonate real attorneys، eg – Michael Grant, Michael F. Miller, Nicholas J. Tomic, etc. Upon contacting the attorney via +1 (925) 695-1550, someone with a foreign accent would attempt to convince people that they’ve limited time to pay for trademark monitoring services. The fraudster cook up a false story that incite fear on business owners and make them quickly fall for the bait.
Anyone who falls for the scam would be made to pay more and more money for a non-existent trademark monitoring service. This is a classic example of Advance Fee Scam.
Spotting The Red Flags;
- There’s no information online about the company ‘Trademark Providers’ neither is it registered in companies house.
- The website ‘trademarkproviders.com’ started operating on 14th March 2024. it’s impossible to have registered up to 3 million businesses as claimed on the site.
- It shares same website design, content, and scam format with previously exposed trademark scam sites.
- Trademark Providers acquire business owners email address through unlawful means – through exploitation of USPTO databases.
Received Trademark Providers email? Here’s What To Do
Do Not Respond
Do not attempt to reply the email as responding can lead to more scams. The best action you should take in this scenario is to totally ignore these emails.
Educate Your Staff
Informing your staff and colleagues about this latest scam would ensure they do not fall prey to it. Upon receiving similar emails, they’d be cautious and know the right steps to take.
Report To The Relevant Authorities
The USPTO has a page for trademark scams and you can email them directly at: [email protected]
Tips for Protecting Yourself from Trademark Solicitation Scam
- Ignore Unsolicited calls or emails that are not from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) from its domain “@uspto.gov
- Consult an IP attorney if you have any concerns about misleading info you’ve received about trademarks.
- Always vet a company thoroughly before using their services. This you can do by searching for reviews or complaints on TrustPilot and Better Business Bureau.
- Ask detailed questions about their registration process, fees, and what specific services are included.
- Never pay questionable third parties through irreversible means like wire transfers, gift cards or crypto. Responsible firms will have no issue with you using credit cards/payment methods offering fraud protection.
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