In a February 2, 2023, article titled “USPTO warns of new spoofing scam targeting trademark owners,” we warned you about a spoofing tactic where scammers were calling trademark owners using “spoofing” to hide their true identity, falsely representing to be employed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), and seeking personal and financial information.

McAfee & Taft has recently learned that fraudsters have improved their tactics. Specifically, fraudsters are using spoofing methods so that caller ID shows the caller to be from the “USPTO” and purports to be from a number associated with the USPTO. Using this false information, the caller represents to be from the USPTO and solicits payment of purported registration fees totaling $500 via credit card or other payment method.

Please be aware that the USPTO will never contact applicants or registrants by phone seeking personal or payment information.  The agency made this clear in its own 2023 article about spoofing fraud like that noted above, asking that recipients of such fraud contact the USPTO’s Trademark Assistance Center.

So, if you receive a telephone call from an individual purporting to be with the USPTO, do not provide any personal or financial information.