The EUIPO says that the letter takes the form of a fake EUTM payment reminder letter. It uses the EUIPO logo, name, acronym and address, and purports to be an EUTM payment reminder issued and electronically signed by a senior manager of the Office. It includes a demand for a registration fee to be transferred to a Polish bank account.

Users are reminded that:

• The EUIPO never sends invoices or payment demands to its users. If users receive a demand for money for anything to do with their trade mark by post or email, it has not come from EUIPO, even if it uses the EUIPO logo, and appears to be official;
• all fees payable directly to the EUIPO in relation to EUTMs are set out in the Trade Mark Regulation (2017/1001/EU); a full list of these statutory fees can be found on EUIPO’s website; EUIPO only uses two Spanish bank accounts for payments relating to trade mark and design fees;
• they should check everything received in relation to a trade mark application, registration or renewal very closely and notify the EUIPO of anything that looks even vaguely suspicious by email at information@euipo.europa.eu. There is also a searchable database of all misleading invoices that users have sent in on the EUIPO website; and
• the User Area is a completely secure channel through which users can pay and receive notifications from the EUIPO safely.

The EUIPO says that in 2020, it recorded 50% more email and phone call interactions from users on fraudulent activities than in 2019. The EUIPO also says that it takes criminal legal action against suspected offenders where it can and cooperates closely with national and international IP offices, user associations, Europol and Eurojust in the fight against this type of fraud. So far, the EUIPO has initiated over 30 legal actions against scammers in several jurisdictions and has taken other measures to close bank accounts or impose administrative penalties for non-compliance with data protection rules. To read the EUIPO’s announcement in full, click here.