Back in 1985 I registered a trademark for a comic book character I owned, and have renewed it every ten years or so since.in early February I received a very official-looking letter from the "United States Trademark Registration Office" telling me I had an "IMPORTANT NOTIFICATION REGARDING YOUR FEDERAL TRADEMARK." The notice listed my trademark, serial number and filing date and looked completely authentic. It also said there was a $375 fee "NOW DUE."
Afraid I'd lose my TM protection, I sent a check, and waited for my Trademark renewal form to arrive. Five weeks later, the check hadn't been cashed. Concerned, I called the Trademark office. After checking, they told me I'd renewed my trademark in and it was good until 2018! They also told me that the company I'd sent the check to was NOT affiliated with the United States Patent and Trademark Office, and that it was part of a scam people were falling for. They suggested I stop my check.
Luckily five weeks after I'd sent the check they still hadn't cashed it, and for $5 I was able to stop my check. You'd think any crook with half a brain would have cashed it 3 minutes after receiving it, but happily that wasn't the case and I successfully stopped payment. No harm to me, except the $5 fee, but I wanted to warn others. I went online after and found many others who fell for the same scam. The secret? If you get to paragraph 3, you'll see these crooks are offering to "monitor" your trademark for you... For a mere $375. Cute way to steal your money, while technically offering a legal service. Buyer beware!
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