Scammers target trademark registrants with official-looking renewal notices demanding fees to prevent abandonment. These deceptive solicitations exploit publicly available USPTO records and strategic timing around actual renewal deadlines.
The fraudsters leverage easily accessible trademark data to create convincing notices. They deliberately contact owners before legitimate entities, increasing perceived credibility. The notices contain accurate information about your trademark, making them appear authentic, though funds sent never reach the USPTO.
How to protect yourself: Check your trademark's actual renewal window using the USPTO database. If the earliest renewal date is still in the future, you are probably being scammed.
Watch for these red flags: communications from entities with names that resemble but are distinct from the USPTO, non-official email domains, and requests to send payments anywhere other than directly to the USPTO or your attorney.
Legitimate correspondence from the USPTO originates from "United States Patent and Trademark Office" in Alexandria, Virginia, with @uspto.gov email addresses.
When in doubt, contact your trademark attorney or the USPTO directly before responding to any solicitation about your trademark.