Here’s another scam to look out for this 2024 – Trademark Providers email scam about trademark registration attempt on your brand name or website domain.
Sent via email, the content of the mail claims someone is about to register your brand name, and then urges you to contact their attorney to do so for you promptly.
While this may appear convincing or legit, it’s just a ploy to get you to pay for fake trademark registration fees.
We’ve seen lots of these scam emails over the past few months, and here’s a breakdown of how it works, plus its red flags.
Overview of this scam from TrademarkProviders.com
An official looking virtual business card contains the contact address of Michael F. Miller, the alleged attorney behind the mail.
Upon contacting the attorney via +1 (925) 695-1550, someone with a foreign accent attempted to convince us that we’ve limited time to register our brand.
He insisted we make payment to Trademark Providers so he’d do the registration immediately. However, a business owner sent us the following message, detailing her experience –
“I received an email stating that my website domain is about to be registered as a trademark by someone else. It had lots of legal mumbo jumbo that made it seem legit. Called and spoke with Michael F. Miller and he convinced me to register my domain with trademarkproviders.com. Did so, but uspto.gov shows my trademark application hasn’t been registered”
Red Flags of Trademark Providers trademark registration scam
Firstly, the legal mumbo jumbo on the email is just a trick to make recipients believe that it’d be a copyright infringement if someone else register their brand name. The truth is; Use in commerce under common law will not become infringement even if the junior trademark holder registers their trademark.
Interestingly, the address and telephone number listed on trademarkproviders.com has also been used by Trademarkcrafty.com – another scam trademark site. It also share same website design, content, and scam format with Trademark Swift & Trademark Troop. Proves it is among a chain of fraudulent websites posing as trademark registration portals.
Meanwhile, though Trademark Providers claims to have registered more than 3 million businesses, they don’t have a BBB page or a TrustPilot page. The website itself ‘Trademarkrproviders.com’ was registered on 14th March 2024. it’s impossible to have registered up to 3 million businesses in that short while.
What You Should Do
Do Not Engage
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.
Seek Legitimate Counsel
The next action you should take as a business owner or brand owner is to consult with a reputable trademark attorney for genuine concerns.
Educate Your Staff and Colleagues
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.
How To Avoid Trademark Scams
- 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.
See Similar scam – Jasper Zane trademark email scam, Trademark Rising Scam