WTP Service

Victim Location 33029

Type of a scam Fake Invoice/Supplier Bill

Beware if you have recently TRADEMARKED something. This company seems to look up newly trademarked people and sends you a bill for about $1400. It looks very official and makes you think you owe the government money for your new trademark.

Unsuspecting individuals could very easily make the error of paying this, and they are waiting to prey on them. There are a vast number of complaints about this "service" all over the internet, including on the Federal Trade Commission website (which actually SHOWS one of their letters as of the date of this writing).

Victim Location 04039

Type of a scam Fake Invoice/Supplier Bill

I received mail in my mailbox from WTP. Inside was an ACTUAL trademark name that I had filed legitimately with the US Patent and Trademark office. At first I thought it was the letter that I have been expecting regarding a status update for my real trademark. But then I quickly saw that no where on this paper did it say US Patent and Trademark Office on it. What it did say, however was that it was “accepted” and that I needed to pay $1380 within the next 10 days if I was to register it successfully. Lame! There was an obscure Florida address and bogus “application number”.

Victim Location 94610

Type of a scam Yellow Pages/Directories

I registered a trademark with the United States Patent and Trademark Office who warned me unsolicited mail would likely arrive at my registered address since the information was public.

Within two weeks I received postal mail from WTP Service with a reproduction of my trademark front and center in their letter asking for a "Publication Fee" of $1,380. There were a series of official-looking numbers presented alongside my trademark to give an air of authenticity including a Reference Number, Application Date, Application Number, Class(es) and National Class(es) as it pertains to my trademark filing.

At the very bottom of the letter from WTP Service, written in the smallest font size presented on the printed page, is a note that "the publication of the public registration of your trademark is the basis of our offer." The notice continues, "We offer you the registration of your brand in our private database www.wtp-registration.com." It’s a very misleading letter and presentation to have your trademark published in a private database.

Type of a scam Fake Invoice/Supplier Bill

Our company applied to Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada for a new Trademark under the Intellectual Property section. As a not-for-profit, we had to pay quite a lot of money to have one made. Once completed we wanted to Trademark it, and fill ed out the necessary web site forms, and thus paying the fee. A copy of the actual trademark is also sent in.

It turns out that this is then posted on the ISEDC web site, where scammers can copy your new trademark, and send the business a letter demanding payment within ten days. When I called the Government agency back to inquire why the bill was so large, I was told by an employee that this is a scam and has happened numerous times before.

I was shocked that our new logo was made public until it had officially been given the green light, and even more shocked that it could be duplicated by a scammer with our information easily accessible to them. Knowing that this has happened before, I’m also disappointed that corrective actions haven’t been made by this government agency to see that applications aren’t more private.