Fake Trademark Invoices via Phone Calls
Callers claim a business must renew or protect its trademark urgently, pressuring staff to pay inflated fees for unnecessary or non-existent services.
Part of: Fake Trademark & IP Invoices
Last reviewed: 1 June 2026
A phone call adds urgency to a fake trademark invoice scam, with a caller insisting that the company's trademark is at risk unless a fee is paid promptly. Staff unfamiliar with trademark procedures may struggle to judge the claim and pay to be safe.
The caller can reference the company's real trademark, drawn from public registers, to sound authoritative. The live, pressured conversation discourages the verification that a written notice might invite, steering the business toward a quick card payment.
How this scam works on Phone calls
The caller phones claiming to represent a trademark authority, registry, or protection service, stating that the company's mark must be renewed, defended against a conflicting application, or registered in another territory. They cite real trademark details to build credibility.
They present an urgent deadline and offer to process payment over the phone, often at an inflated fee or for a service that is unofficial or unnecessary. The caller discourages hanging up to verify, framing delay as a threat to the trademark.
If staff pay, the money funds the operator for a needless service while the genuine trademark position is unaffected. The pressure and the reluctance to allow verification are the clearest indicators the call is not legitimate.
Common red flags
- An unsolicited call claiming your trademark is urgently at risk
- Pressure to pay by card immediately to protect the mark
- A caller who cannot be confirmed as the official authority
- A fee higher than any official charge for the service
- Claims of a conflicting application requiring immediate payment
- Reluctance to let you hang up and verify independently
How to protect yourself
- Decline to pay on the call and verify with your IP office directly
- Consult your trademark attorney or agent if you use one
- Never give card details to an unsolicited trademark caller
- Compare any fee against the official body's published charges
- Treat urgent conflicting-application claims with skepticism
- Confirm the caller against an independently found official contact
How to report it
- Report the call 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
A caller says a conflicting trademark application means we must pay now. Is it genuine?
Be skeptical. Official bodies do not usually cold-call demanding immediate card payment to protect a mark. Hang up and verify with your national IP office or trademark attorney before paying anything.