EUIPO fraud case: Convictions signal crackdown on scams
A German court ruling marks a significant victory in the battle against misleading intellectual property invoices.
The recent conviction of three individuals for sending fraudulent invoices to European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) customers resulted in suspended prison sentences and the confiscation of approximately €200,000 in unlawfully obtained gains.
This ruling is a step forward in combating intellectual property-related fraud. "These cases set legal examples for treating these schemes as criminal fraud", the EUIPO said on its website, potentially deterring future scammers.
The fraud scheme, which operated under the name 'IP Register UG', involved sending letters that closely mimicked official EUIPO invoices. These deceptive communications featured misleading letterheads and subject lines, tricking unsuspecting customers into making payments totalling around €200,000 between November 2020 and April 2021.
Recently, we reported on a warning issued by the UK Intellectual Property Office (UK IPO) regarding a 63% increase in unsolicited payment requests. These UK-based scams often involve inflated invoices for trade mark, design, or patent services.
The EUIPO has also taken proactive steps by publishing a searchable database of known scam letters and emails on their website.
As we continue to work closely with the UK IPO and international partners to address this issue, we call on our members to spread awareness about these scams. By staying informed and cautious, we can collectively reduce the impact of these fraudulent activities on our profession and clients.