Fake Trademark Invoices on Email
Fraudsters email businesses official-looking trademark renewal or registration invoices, charging inflated fees for services that are unnecessary or never provided.
Part of: Fake Trademark & IP Invoices
Last reviewed: 1 June 2026
Fake trademark invoice scams use email to mimic the formal notices businesses associate with intellectual property authorities. A document referencing the company's real trademark and an upcoming deadline can prompt a payment before anyone checks whether it came from an official source.
Because trademark administration is unfamiliar to many businesses, a fraudulent invoice that looks official is hard to distinguish from a genuine one. The scam relies on that uncertainty, presenting a plausible fee for renewal, registration, or publication that the business may not realise is unofficial.
How this scam works on Email
The business receives an email with an invoice or notice that appears to relate to its trademark, often quoting the real mark, application number, or renewal date drawn from public registers. The sender uses official-sounding names and formatting to imply authority.
The notice requests payment for renewal, registration in an additional register, or publication in a private directory, frequently at a fee far above any official charge. A deadline is emphasised to pressure prompt payment, and the service offered may be unnecessary or non-existent.
If the business pays, it funds an unofficial operator for a service it did not need, while its genuine trademark obligations remain separate. The scam exploits the public availability of trademark data to make each notice look personalised and credible.
Common red flags
- An invoice for trademark services from a sender that is not the official body
- Use of your real trademark details drawn from public registers
- A fee far higher than the official charge for the service
- An offer to publish your mark in a private directory or register
- An emphasised deadline pressuring immediate payment
- Official-sounding names designed to imply government authority
How to protect yourself
- Verify any trademark notice against your official intellectual property office
- Check correspondence through your trademark attorney or agent if you use one
- Compare quoted fees against the official body's published charges
- Treat private register or directory offers as optional and usually unnecessary
- Do not pay based on a deadline before confirming the notice is official
- Keep a record of your genuine renewal dates and representatives
How to report it
- Report the invoice to your national intellectual property office
- File a report with your national consumer protection or fraud body
- Notify your bank if a payment was made
Frequently asked questions
We already paid the invoice. Can we get a refund?
Contact your bank or card issuer to ask about recovery options — a card payment may allow a chargeback dispute if the service was misleading, though this depends on your issuer's policies. Report the invoice to your national intellectual property office and consumer protection body as well.
Does paying one of these invoices actually harm our real trademark protection?
Paying an unofficial invoice does not itself cancel or damage your genuine trademark registration, but it also does nothing to protect it, since the money simply goes to an unrelated party. Your actual renewal obligations are still handled separately through your real intellectual property office or attorney.
I received a trademark renewal invoice quoting my real mark. Is it official?
Not necessarily. Trademark data is public, so scammers can quote your real mark to look official. Verify the notice with your national intellectual property office or your trademark attorney before paying, and compare the fee against official charges.