Another week, another scam targeting applicants and/or registrants for trademark protection at the USPTO.
This offering for “Trademark Publication” from ITA provides no real value. It offers publication in their private database for the outrageous cost of $1380.00. The publication has no actual value.
I have never met a trademark professional who relies on any such private directories for anything. They are incomplete and unofficial. They do not add to your trademark’s protection in any meaningful way.
If you have been taken by this scam, I suggest that you file a complaint with the FTC, write a letter to the USPTO Commissioner, and contact law enforcement.
Beware of such scams. Read the fine print. Contact your attorney. Report scams to the FTC and USPTO.
Thank you for your post. Very helpful I just got this.
I just received it as well. So shady. How can they get my copyright info like this? Terrible.
I’ll report them. What a freaking scam. They have a Miami mailing address, shame on them for housing such criminals.
THANK YOU! My colleague and I got this letter last week.
Thank you I was targeted as well. Felt that something wasn’t quite right about it so I googled ITR.
I just received the exact same letter, can people not just get a real job instead of trying to scam others. Someone needs to pay them a visit. Old school payback…..
THANK YOU! Almost paid it!
Thank you for posting this! Very happy to come across your article and get confirmation that this isn’t legitimate.
We actually sent a payment for the publication as it sneaked through one or our group companies buying/accounting departments and, luckily for us, the check was returned with a letter part of which read, ” Unfortunately we have technical problems to deposit the check. We ask you to therefore cancel this check and transfer the amount to the following account” and bank wire information was attached.
The check was given to me and the poor English raised a red flag. Googled ITR and found this. Needless to say we will not be sending them a wire payment.
Now I know where all the yellow pages directory and trade directory scammers have gone as they more or less died out over the last few years as the web made the redundant
Just a heads up, they are still doing this but are now going by ITP. Google pulled up nothing, but with their address I managed to find this image and realized it was the same company.
We just received an ITP not an ITR, as the last entry stated. We received three Trademark Publications and our AP team gave them to me to find out which department would approve them. Laughed so hard as it brought be back to the waling fingers fraud attemtps. Thought that information was not relevant any longer, wonder how many more old time fraud attempts are going to start poking their heads through technology.
Indeed, they have changed the name to ITP (to try to avoid this blog post?). Don’t worry, new blog post about ITP coming soon!
Pingback: Beware of scam from ITP (formerly ITR) | Erik M Pelton & Associates, PLLCErik M Pelton & Associates, PLLC
Thank you for writing this post to make it easy to double check the legitimacy of this company (which is “none”). And yes, as mentioned above, they have changed to ITP but their letter looks identical to your photo in the post.
Is there any way for us to help in getting them identified and caught? I’d love for justice to be served to these manipulative thieves. 🙂
Beware as now they are calling themselves “ITP” exact same set up and letter I received today for $1,340.00 Filing Fee. Knew there was something fishey going on. Wondering how they even obtained my information from the USPTO? Pretty scary?
They don’t even bother to create a website. What a lousy scam!
Thanks for this post. I got the same note as well. My letter was signed by Adam Smith. Checked with my lawyer also. It is a totally scam. Shame on these people who are taking advantage of startups.
These guys nearly got us as well..
As Robert also said on June 6, our accounting department accidentally let this slip through and two checks were issued to ITP. After we had a closer look and realized this was a scam, we called our bank and luckily were still able to put a stop payment on each check. And, we too then got the letter from an “Adam Smith” saying that they’re “currently experiencing problems in clearing the check”, and that we should in turn pay by wire transfer.