It was just weeks ago that I wrote about the dramatic increase in tax scams. Now I need to pass along news of another kind of scam.

One of our clients whose trademarks are registered with the United States Patent and Trademark Office recently received a mailing he passed along to us. It was an “offer” from the Worldwide Database of Trademarks and Patents to register our client’s trademarks in an international database. The cost of this seemingly valuable service? A whopping $2,098.64. And what would our client have gotten in return? A mere one-year registration in a private database.

The Worldwide Database of Trademarks and Patents is not alone. A quick Google search will turn up the names of dozens of similar scammers who purport to register trademarks, patents and domain names. Their offers are invariably accompanied by hefty invoices. Their services are rarely legitimate.

So, please be aware. If you receive an unsolicited mailing regarding the registration of your intellectual property, it’s probably not offering anything you need!