Intellectual Property Office Scam Email Alert

Beware of fraudsters claiming to be from the Intellectual Property Office

The UK’s Intellectual Property Office (IPO) is warning businesses to beware of approaches from a Latvian-based company which has set itself up using the same name in order to defraud unsuspecting victims.

The IPO is the official UK government body responsible for intellectual property rights including patents, designs, trade marks and copyright.

The Latvian company has been inviting businesses and members of the public to pay renewal fees for patents and trademarks. They have been using documentation designed to look like official renewal reminders for registered patents and trademarks sent by the genuine IPO.

This company is not part of, or associated with the UK’s IPO.

Find more information (including the correct fees which the IPO charge) on renewing your patent and on how to manage your registered trade mark.

If you believe you have been the victim of a fraud, or attempted scam, call Action Fraud on Tel. 0300 123 2040 or use Action Fraud’s online fraud reporting tool.

Source: nibusinessinfo.co.uk