Trademark registration scams are unfortunately common these days. One recent scheme going around is the so-called Trademark Zenesa scam.
I recently heard from a small business owner who fell victim to these fraudsters. She lost $500 to them before realizing it was a scam.
That sparked my interest to investigate this con job further. I wanted to understand exactly how the Trademark Zenesa scam works, gather complaints from other victims, and most importantly, help prevent other entrepreneurs like you from getting ripped off too.
In this comprehensive guide, I’ll reveal:
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Let’s start by understanding exactly what we’re dealing with and how they operate.
How Does the Trademark Zenesa Scam Work?
The scam typically starts with an unsolicited email about a supposed issue with your trademark application. The message often claims that there’s a problem with your USPTO filing or that someone else is trying to fraudulently get your trademark.
This tricks the recipient into urgently contacting Trademark Zenesa “for help”.
However, Trademark Zenesa has no legal authority or affiliation with the USPTO despite misleading claims.
Once contacted, the fraudsters posing as “paralegals” or “specialists” pressure victims into purchasing overpriced (yet essentially useless) trademark services or monitoring subscriptions costing hundreds or thousands of dollars.
Of course none of these expensive products are ever delivered as promised. The crooks simply pocket your money while providing fake application updates until eventually disappearing for good.
Many small business owners have already fallen prey, as seen from just some of these complaints:
Real Victim Complaints About the Trademark Zenesa Scam:
Here are direct quotes from entrepreneurs sharing their devastating experiences after getting conned by Trademark Zenesa fraudsters:
“I received an email stating that the USPTO had important information regarding my recent Trademark Application. It had lots of legal mumbo jumbo in the body of the email that made it seem legit. I called and spoke with Eric James who told me that I needed to purchase a Trademark Monitoring Service because my application was likely to get rejected.”
“I purchased the Platinum Monitoring Package for $2,995 from Trademark Zenesa. After not hearing anything for months, I called and emailed multiple times with no response. I then tried looking up their address only to find it doesn’t exist. I’ve been scammed out of thousands!”
“I too have been scammed by Trademark Zenesa for $1495 after receiving an email alerting me that another company was attempting to use my business name. I filed for a refund and fraud claim with my bank but I doubt I will ever see that money again. Stay far away from this deceitful site!”
As you can see, the experiences are eerily similar for most victims. The fraud starts with an official-seeming warning about your trademark, leading into high-pressure sales calls where they trick you into spending anywhere from $500 to over $2,000 on grossly overpriced, non-existent services.
But here’s the key things to know about Trademark Zenesa so you don’t get scammed…
5 Big Red Flags Revealing It’s a Trademark Zenesa Scam
While clever social engineering and legal mumbo jumbo in their messages can initially seem convincing to some folks, there are several clear warning signs proving Trademark Zenesa is 100% fraud:
1. It’s Part of a Larger Trademark Scam Operation
Trademark Zenesa shares the exact same website design, content, contact details, and false address as exposed scams Trademark Swift and Trademark Troops. This proves it’s just another shell entity set up to rip people off.
2. Impersonates Real Attorneys to Falsely Build Trust
The fraudsters often mention legitimate lawyers like “Amanda Rokita” in their communication without permission to exploit their credentials. This tricks recipients into trusting them. But the unscrupulous scammers have no actual affiliation with any attorneys.
3. Brand New Website Registered Anonymously
Trademark Zenesa’s site was registered on December 3, 2023 through an Icelandic privacy service to hide the owner’s identity. This lack of transparency is super sketchy!
4. No Legal Operating Entity Whatsoever
Despite claiming to handle trademarks, Trademark Zenesa admits it is not a law firm or legal entity. This proves they have zero credentials or rights to provide any legitimate services.
5. Fake Office Addresses to Appear Official
The fraudsters claim multiple real addresses like “610 S Broadway Los Angeles CA 90014” to seem official. But investigation found that space is actually occupied by a personal injury law firm. The scammers are just pretending to operate there!
With so many clear signs this operation is 100% fraudulent, no legitimate business should ever engage with them.
But who exactly is behind this exploitative scam?…
Who’s Running the Trademark Zenesa Scam (and Their Shady History)
While the person(s) behind Trademark Zenesa hide their identity through anonymous website registration, past trademark scams linked to the same entities help uncover those likely responsible.
Search Process Reveals Likely Masterminds
An investigation process I used that typically smokes out shady operators went like this:
First, I searched for the registered business address “Kalkofnsvegur 2 101 Reykjavik Capital Region” used by Trademark Zenesa.
That location belongs to an Icelandic company called “Withheld for Privacy ehf” that provides website privacy protection services. This aligns with how the fraudsters are hiding their identity.
Next, I checked domain name registration records on Whois and found the admin email address used was: [email protected]
I then searched online for other sites registered using that same email address to uncover more clues.
This led me to 2 additional recently-created sites also hosted anonymously through “Withheld for Privacy” – TrademarkSwift.com and TrademarkTroops.com.
As covered earlier, those 2 fraudulent companies are directly linked to the same scam network as Trademark Zenesa.
So chances are whoever registered those other trademark scam shells also established Trademark Zenesa.
Unfortunately their true identities remain hidden so far by the privacy service. But given the pattern of behavior across all their scammy sites, we can assume it’s the same ring of con artists at play.
History of Complaints Across Web About Group
Furthermore, while I couldn’t directly verify the masterminds behind Trademark Zenesa specifically, a quick web search reveals their scam ring flagged for many ripoffs before…
There are multiple posts on sites like RipOffReport.com, PissedConsumer.com, and Scamion.com complaining of eerily similar trademark registration cons using the same mail-forwarding addresses in Iceland traced back to Trademark Zenesa’s owner.
So while their actual names remain concealed, evidence shows this is almost certainly the same group of hucksters involved in various past trademark exploitation schemes.
They clearly got their previous scam sites shut down before reappearing to continue their unethical racket all over again under the new name “Trademark Zenesa”.
Now that you understand exactly what you’re dealing with, here are crucial steps to take for protection…
What To Do if You Get Targeted by the Trademark Zenesa Ripoff
If you receive any communication from Trademark Zenesa or believe you’re being targeted by their scam, take the following actions right away:
1. Gather All Evidence of Interactions
Save copies of any emails, phone logs, receipts or other documentation of your dealings with them. This creates a paper trail for authorities.
2. Notify Your Bank if You Paid Them
If you unfortunately already paid these scammers anything through credit card, debit card, wire transfer etc, immediately notify your bank or payment provider to try stopping/reversing the charges. Provide all evidence.
You can also file official disputes and fraud claims to increase chances of recovering lost money depending on timing and process of original payment method used.
3. Report Trademark Zenesa to Relevant Agencies
To protect other entrepreneurs and help bring down this racket, make sure to report them to the proper channels like:
- USPTO Fraud Section
- Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
- FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center
- State Attorney General’s Office
- Local Police Department
The more complaints filed, the sooner authorities can investigate and build cases to catch the crooks behind this trademark scam.
I know the idea of reporting frauds might seem intimidating.
But I’ve included links to simple online reporting forms for USPTO, FTC and IC3 below to make it fast and straightforward for you:
Lastly, always happy to help targets of this insidious scam by forwarding your story anonymously to investigators on your behalf, just contact me here.
Now let’s wrap this up with some must-know tips to avoid all trademark application cons for good…
Expert Tips to Avoid Trademark Scams Altogether
While the tactics of scammers constantly evolve in sophistication, outsmarting their tricks comes down mastering a few countermeasures:
1. Let USPTO Contact You First
Disregard any outreach regarding your trademark unless it originates directly from an official uspto.gov address or phone number.
2. Research Companies Thoroughly First
Before paying anyone for trademark services, thoroughly vet them through guide sites like Better Business Bureau or TrustPilot for real reviews.
3. Require Consultations Before Committing
Insist on exploratory calls or meetings with an actual lawyer from the firm before engaging or paying them. This avoids getting pressured by sales teams pretending to be experts.
4. Ask For Written Agreements Detailing Services
Get crystal clear specifications of what exactly you’re paying for in writing via service contracts or letters of engagement before providing payment.
5. Only Pay Securely with Traceable Methods
Never pay questionable third parties through irreversible means like wire transfers, gift cards or crypto. Responsible firms will have no issue with you using credit cards/payment methods offering fraud protection.
Stay vigilant and you can confidently avoid scams like Trademark Zenesa trying to take advantage of hard-working entrepreneurs.
I hope this guide better prepared you to sidestep predatory trademark registration cons – and helped anyone already affected take action.
[This article is for general information and alert purposes only. No attorney-client relationship is established herein. Always consult properly licensed legal professionals for personalized guidance on your exact situation.]
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