The following is an edited transcript of my video Am I Being Scammed?
There are so many ways that trademark scammers these days are contacting brand owners and trying to scam them, including emails, texts, phone calls, and paper mail, because information is in the public records.
The following are tips for how to check on something that is contacting you about a trademark that feels like it might be a scam:
- Call back the phone number. Now they are spoofing USPTO phone numbers, so ask for their phone number and call them back.
- Ask for their business license or information from the state or locality certifying that they’re a registered company authorized to do business.
- Ask for their reviews on Google or Yelp.
- Ask for references from other satisfied clients or customers.
- Ask for information about the founders or principals of the company.
- Ask about their return policies. What happens if there’s a problem? Can you get a refund?
- Talk to a lawyer.
- Check with the USPTO. They have a couple of great pages of resources, including one long list of many known scam companies and their names—because the scam company names are always changing, this is not necessarily a comprehensive list, but it is a good tool.
Bottom line is be careful. Do some homework. If something feels like it might be a scam, it very well could be, and these are some tools to try to figure that out. You can always check for more resources at our scam page at: isthisatrademarkscam.com.
