We Dug Into Trademark Swift: Is It Scam or Legit?
Have you received an email from Trademark Swift that says someone else intends to file an application for your trademark with the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO)?
As serious as this may sound, there’s no need to panic. This article sheds a light on how Trademark Swift really works, the scam behind it, and what steps to take.
Overview of Trademark Swift Scam
Launched in October 2023, Trademark Swift (trademarkswift.com) is a website set up to register logos and trademarks of brands and businesses. The website claims to offer the services – Trademark Registration, Trademark Comprehensive, Copyright Registration and Trademark Monitoring.
However, behind this facade is an ongoing scam targeting business owners.
How The Trademark Swift Scam Work
The scam starts with an email that uses high pressure tactics to frighten people. Recipients are told that their brand name or trademark is not registered with the USPTO. Then they claim someone intends to file an application for the trademark. The email is signed by a certain Stephen Thomas Gebelin ‘Intellectual Property Attorney’ to make it look legit or authentic.
After creating this false sense of urgency, Trademark Swift request for huge amount of money from recipients. This money are often for unnecessary and nonsensical processes. In cases of Trademark registration, they might spoof the USPTO logo and send clients fake receipts.
Trademark Swift Red Flags That Stand Out – Why You Shouldn’t Trust Trademarkswift.com
Spoofs Legitimate Attorney
Trademark Swift uses the name of reputable attorneys to trick recipients. The real Stephen Thomas Gebelin is not associated with Trademark Swift. His name is been used by the scammers in order to make the website look legit.
Not a Legal Entity
The email is written in such a way that makes recipient believe Trademark Swift is a legal entity, however this is mispresentation. On the website’s about us page, they state they’re not a law firm. This means there’s no real applicant intending to use the aforementioned trademark.
Recently Registered Website
For a business that claimed to have provided trademark solutions to thousands of businesses, it’s surprising that they’ve only been operating for a short while (since October 2023). How could they’ve catered for a thousand clients in a short time?
Fake Business Address
Trademark Swift is using the address of a popular place ‘610 S Broadway Los Angeles, CA 90014’ to trick people. The building’s lease officer said the only attorney located there is an Uber & Lyft Accident lawyer.
How To Spot and Avoid Trademark Registration Scams
Unsolicited calls or emails that are not from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) from its domain “@uspto.gov
Uses High Pressure Tactics – Claims your trademark is about to be banned or filed by someone else
Claims To be a Legal entity but doesn’t mention so on their Website
Request for Upfront fees before any work is done.
Conclusion
Trademark Swift is certainly not what it portrays itself to be. There are a lot of red flags associated with the firm, and they’ve been called out as a scam by a Trademark Attorney. If you received an email from Trademark Swift the best action you should take is to completely ignore it.
Phishing scams are on the increase daily, and we’ve been able to fish similar phishing scams like – EireVerify, Svieducation scam, Vince Camuto email scam, NYSDOL scam, USPS scam, to mention but few.
ALWAYS REMEMBER TO SEND US A MAIL VIA OUR CONTACT US PAGE IF YOU’RE IN DOUBT OF TEXT MESSAGES, MAILS, OR ONLINE STORES!
