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The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has published in response to an increase in trademark scams as more individuals and businesses rely on digital filings. The publication provides essential guidance to help applicants identify fraudulent activity and protect their intellectual property rights. ¹ This article provides a summary of it but readers are encouraged to review the publication.

According to the USPTO, scammers frequently impersonate USPTO employees, attorneys, or private filing services to solicit payments or steal personal information. Common warning signs include emails sent from non-.gov addresses, urgent payment demands, or requests for USPTO.gov passwords. The USPTO emphasizes that it never asks for sensitive information or fees by phone or email. Applicants who receive suspicious messages should verify authenticity through the Trademark Status and Document Retrieval (TSDR) system before taking any action. ²

The USPTO identifies several other recurring scam types. These include, but not limited to, spoofed websites that mimic the official USPTO domain to capture payments, while fake emails and phone calls reference real application details to appear legitimate. Misleading mail solicitations often use official-sounding names and seals to market unnecessary “renewal” or “publication” services at inflated prices. Some schemes attempt to change the owner’s contact information or attorney of record to gain unauthorized control of an application. Others involve forged signatures, fraudulent specimens, or over-claimed goods and services, each of which can invalidate a registration.³

To prevent these issues, the USPTO advises applicants to confirm all correspondence within the TSDR system, verify that any attorney is U.S.-licensed, and report suspicious communications to the Trademark Assistance Center (TAC). Genuine USPTO messages always come from an email address ending in “@uspto.gov,” and official fees and deadlines are published on the agency’s website.

Ultimately, the USPTO’s warning underscores a simple principle: vigilance is protection. Scammers depend on fear and haste, but careful applicants can outsmart them by pausing to verify every message. When in doubt, check directly with the USPTO.gov—because if it doesn’t come from their official government domain, it doesn’t come from them.

This article is for educational purposes only.
 

¹ U.S. Patent & Trademark Off., *Recognizing Common Scams*, (last visited Oct. 30, 2025).

² Id.

³ Id.