Our clients have been receiving emails which start:
“We are writing in connection with a trademark enquiry recently submitted to our firm by a third party who intends to register the name and logo of [YOUR COMPANY NAME] with the UK Intellectual Property Office (UKIPO). At this stage, no application has been filed to UKIPO [sic].
During our pre-filing checks, it appeared that you are already using the same name and logo in the United Kingdom. In order to avoid any unnecessary conflict, we have placed the prospective applicant’s file on hold for the next 48 hours.”
The solicitor is real, but they are not sending the emails. Their name is being fraudulently used. The fraudster advises that someone else is about to register your name and logo and that while preparing the matter, they found out that you already have the same name. They then “kindly” offer to help you secure it. If you respond, they will say the other person has, unsurprisingly, changed their mind, so you are free to go ahead upon payment of a fee.
We have been advising clients to report this to Action Fraud. Sadly, one client told us Action Fraud said it was not a scam and that they should act on it urgently.
Anything you receive with a short, threatening deadline is a potential scam. If it is from a solicitor, check they are registered. Also check the SRA Scam Alerts page, where you will find various versions of this scam already listed: https://www.sra.org.uk/consumers/scam-alerts/
If you have received a similar approach, call our legal team at Lawgistics for guidance via our telephone helpline.
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