Takeaway: Fraudulent emails are being sent to trademark applicants and registrants from accounts posing as the USPTO.

U.S trademark applicants and registrants are receiving emails that appear to be sent by the USPTO, when in fact they are fraudulent emails. These messages include that the applicant or registrant has provided incorrect filing information (e.g. fee information) to the USPTO or that the USPTO has a new policy regarding separate registration of clients and there will be a penalty implemented for not complying.

To ensure the communication applicants or registrants receive is actually from the USPTO, you can go to the USPTO’s Trademark Status & Document Retrieval (TSDR) database, which shows any communication on behalf of the USPTO to the applicant or registrant. If the email applicants or registrants received is not present, it is not from the USPTO and should not necessitate a response. Receivers of fraudulent emails from accounts acting as the USPTO can report these fraudulent communications by filing a consumer complaint with the Federal Trade Commission.