USPTO Warns Trademark Applicants of New Scam Emails Impersonating Office

USPTO reports scam emails impersonating its trademark office targeting applicants.

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has issued new warnings about fraudulent email campaigns targeting trademark applicants. These emails impersonate USPTO officials, alleging mandatory "verification appointments" with fake examining attorneys to pressure recipients into providing sensitive information.

The scam emails often originate from suspicious domains such as @lawoffice119.com and @uspto-trademark-gov.live. These are not affiliated with the official USPTO, whose legitimate communications always come from @uspto.gov emails. Attorneys like Matthew D. Delaney of Frost Brown Todd LLC emphasize, "If you receive an email like this, do not respond and do not call the number provided." He also notes that "legitimate USPTO emails come from @uspto.gov."

Complicating matters, fraudsters utilize data harvested from the USPTO's public Trademark Status & Document Retrieval (TSDR) database to craft emails that seem authentic. This tactic increases the likelihood trademark applicants might fall victim to these phishing attempts.

To counter these scams, the USPTO strongly advises applicants and attorneys to cross-check any suspicious messages by consulting the TSDR database directly. The office has reinforced these warnings through official alerts, urging recipients to verify rather than respond impulsively to verification requests.

As these fraudulent campaigns evolve, heightened awareness and caution are essential for legal professionals managing trademark portfolios to safeguard their clients' sensitive information.