If you filed a federal trademark, your name and address are now in a public USPTO database, and scammers use that data. Here's how to tell a real USPTO notice from a fake one, and what to do if one lands in your inbox or mailbox.
Real USPTO emails come only from addresses ending in @uspto.gov, and every real USPTO notice also appears in your file on the USPTO's TSDR system. Mailers from private companies such as pto-us.com, emails demanding a "mandatory verification appointment," and letters asking you to pay to "renew" or "prevent cancellation" are not from the USPTO. Don't call, click, or pay. Check TSDR, report the message to TMScams@uspto.gov, and have a trademark attorney confirm your real deadlines.
Small businesses, Amazon sellers, and new LLC owners are filing more trademarks than ever, and many file without an attorney. Every application creates a public record, and scammers build mailing lists from that record.
What scammers can see:
Most first-time applicants don't know how the USPTO actually communicates. A letter that quotes your real serial number and filing date looks official, even when it comes from a private company.
The FTC has warned that these impersonators use realistic seals, the names of real USPTO employees, and spoofed caller ID to look official.
Most scams fall into one of five patterns. Some break the law, and others are legal but misleading solicitations that charge far more than the USPTO does for the same filing.
Messages that claim to be from an examining attorney and demand a phone call, a "verification appointment," or payment to keep your application alive.
Commercial websites with names and branding that look like the USPTO. The real agency is only at uspto.gov.
Letters warning of "pending cancellation" or a renewal deadline, with an invoice for hundreds or thousands of dollars.
Offers to list your mark in a private "registry" or to provide "required" brand monitoring. No private registry or monitoring service is required by law.
Notices claiming your Minnesota LLC must "verify" or "endorse" your federal trademark. Your Secretary of State filing and your USPTO registration are separate.
None of the names below belongs to the USPTO. These examples come from public consumer reports and law firm alerts. New look-alikes appear constantly, so use the rules in the next section instead of relying on any list.
pto-us.comA private company, not the USPTO. Trademark owners report receiving mailers with a "Patent & Trademark Office" return name, "Open Immediately" warnings, and "pending trademark cancellation" language, along with an invoice.@uspto-trademark-gov.live · @uspto-trademark.liveSender domains reported in fake "mandatory verification appointment" emails. Putting "uspto" in a domain name doesn't make it official.@lawoffice119.comAnother sender domain reported in the same verification-appointment scam.This list comes from third-party reports and is not complete. If a message isn't from @uspto.gov and doesn't appear in TSDR, treat it as unofficial.
The USPTO's own rule: Official communications, including office actions and any request for payment or information, are always uploaded to TSDR under the "Documents" tab. If it's not in TSDR, it's not an official communication.
Go to TSDR yourself by typing tsdr.uspto.gov into your browser, enter your serial number, and compare. Don't use any link in the suspicious message.
Still unsure? Send it to us. We check notices like this every week.
Send Us the Notice| Check | Real USPTO | Red flag |
|---|---|---|
| Sender / website | Emails end in @uspto.gov; website is uspto.gov | .com, .org, .net, .live, or "uspto" buried inside another domain |
| Where it appears | Uploaded to your TSDR file | Not in TSDR |
| Payment | Paid only through the USPTO's own electronic filing system | Invoice, wire, payment app, gift card, check to a third-party address, or card number by phone |
| Phone contact | Never asks for personal or payment information by phone, email, or text | "Mandatory verification appointment" or "call within 24 hours" |
| Tone | Plain, with deadlines measured in months | "Open immediately," "final notice," "abandoned today" |
| State references | Federal registration has nothing to do with your MN Secretary of State filing | Claims your LLC must "endorse" or "verify" your trademark |
Minnesota trademark owners get the same solicitations as everyone else. Several local factors increase the chance of a mistake:
We help business owners in Minneapolis, St. Paul, Coon Rapids, Maple Grove, Bloomington, Blaine, Eagan, and across greater Minnesota and Wisconsin. The pattern is usually the same: the owner filed without an attorney, received a letter that quoted their real serial number, and couldn't tell whether to pay it.
If you have an attorney of record, the USPTO sends official correspondence to your attorney. That gives you an easy test: if a "USPTO" notice reaches you directly and your attorney didn't send it, be suspicious.
Don't reply, click links, or call any number in the message.
That includes payment, personal information, ID, and product photos.
Type tsdr.uspto.gov into your browser and look up your serial number.
Send it to TMScams@uspto.gov and file a complaint at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
Call your bank or card issuer immediately to dispute the charge.
Call Twin Cities Trademarks to review your file and calendar any real USPTO deadlines.
To reach the USPTO directly, call the Trademark Assistance Center at 1-800-786-9199, a number published on uspto.gov. Don't use a number from the suspicious message.
No. pto-us.com is a private commercial site, not the United States Patent and Trademark Office. The USPTO's only website is uspto.gov, a .gov domain. Trademark owners have publicly reported receiving mailers tied to pto-us.com that warn of pending trademark cancellation and request payment. Real USPTO notices appear in your file on TSDR.
Authentic USPTO emails end in @uspto.gov. Every official communication, including office actions and any request for payment or information, is also uploaded to your file in TSDR under the Documents tab. If it isn't in TSDR, it isn't an official USPTO communication.
No. There is no mandatory verification appointment for trademark applications. Emails demanding one are a known impersonation scam. USPTO employees will never ask for personal or payment information over the phone, by email, or by text.
Scammers read the same public USPTO records anyone can see, such as your name, address, mark, and serial number. Seeing that information in a letter doesn't mean your account was compromised, and it doesn't make the message legitimate.
Ignoring a scam has no effect on your application or registration. Real deadlines come only from official USPTO actions recorded in TSDR, such as office actions, notices of allowance, and post-registration maintenance filings. Have a trademark attorney check your file so you don't miss a genuine deadline.
Forward suspicious trademark emails or describe suspicious letters to TMScams@uspto.gov, and file a complaint with the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. If you paid, contact your bank or card issuer right away.
No. Registering an LLC with the Minnesota Secretary of State is separate from a federal trademark registration with the USPTO. Any notice claiming your LLC must verify or endorse your federal trademark is false.
Send it to us before you call, click, or pay. Twin Cities Trademarks PLLC will check your USPTO file, tell you whether the notice is official, and confirm any real deadlines. If you're still preparing to file, we offer flat-fee searches and applications so you know what to expect from the USPTO from the start.
Sources: USPTO, Caution: Misleading Notices · USPTO, Ten Things You Can Do to Protect Your Trademark · FTC Business Blog, "Really? United States Patent & Trademark Office?" · Stites & Harbison client alert · Trustpilot reviews of pto-us.com
Legal disclaimer: This page is provided for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Reading this content does not create an attorney-client relationship. Trademark law is fact-specific, so contact a licensed trademark attorney about your situation. Twin Cities Trademarks PLLC is not affiliated with the United States Patent and Trademark Office. References to third-party websites and email domains are based on publicly available consumer reports and law firm alerts.