If a text claims that your trademark is at risk, another company is trying to register your name, or you must call or pay today, do not reply. The Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO) says its legitimate text messages are only login codes sent while you are accessing CIPO's online services. They do not ask for a reply or discuss trademarks, patents, payments, or renewal dates.
Open the CIPO IP Scam Awareness Zone yourself and verify any claimed notice against the official trademark record.
Short answer
A text about a trademark, payment, renewal, examiner, competing application, or deadline is not a legitimate CIPO text. Do not call its number, follow its link, send money, or provide information. Search your trademark in CIPO's Canadian Trademarks Database, compare the official correspondence through the Trademarks Document Retrieval Service (TDRS), and contact CIPO through the reporting information on its official website.
What the fake CIPO and trademark-advisor texts claim
CIPO's public examples show two closely related approaches.
On August 12, 2026, CIPO documented texts from a sender calling itself "Trademark Advisor Canada." The sender used three different numbers and claimed that someone else was trying to trademark the recipient's business name. The message pressured the recipient to respond that day.
On August 6, CIPO documented a sender impersonating the office and directing the recipient to a fake trademark examiner. Earlier 2026 examples on the same page show similar texts that use real application details, scheduled "verification" calls, payment demands, and warnings that rights may be lost.
Real names, application details, professional language, and a Canadian phone number do not prove that the sender represents CIPO or a licensed trademark agent. Trademark records contain public information that a scammer can copy into a convincing message.
What legitimate CIPO texts do and do not contain
| Message detail | What CIPO says |
|---|---|
| Login code while you access CIPO online services | This is the legitimate purpose of a CIPO text |
| Request to reply | CIPO login-code texts do not ask for a reply |
| Trademark, patent, payment, or renewal date | Legitimate CIPO texts do not mention these topics |
| Link to pay a fee | Ignore it and verify through official CIPO services |
| Claim that your trademark is at risk today | Treat it as a warning sign and check the official record |
| Referral to an examiner or advisor by text | Do not use the supplied contact; verify independently |
A real CIPO login code should also make sense in context. If you were not signing in, do not share the code. Open the official service yourself and check the account.
How to verify the trademark message
- Do not reply, call, tap, or pay from the text.
- Save a screenshot showing the message, time, and sender. Avoid forwarding it in a way that exposes client information.
- Search the mark in the Canadian Trademarks Database.
- Review CIPO's official correspondence through the Trademarks Document Retrieval Service linked from the trademark record.
- Compare any claimed fee or deadline with CIPO's official record and fee information.
- If the sender claims to be a trademark agent, verify the person in the College of Patent Agents and Trademark Agents public register.
- Contact CIPO using information found on its official website, not the number in the text.
CIPO says all official correspondence related to a trademark is available through its database and TDRS. If the supposed notice is absent, contact CIPO before taking any action. Do not assume that absence alone resolves a legal deadline; an owner with a live matter should confirm with CIPO or their verified agent.
If the text includes a link, use our guide to check a link without clicking. This is a general technical check, not a substitute for reviewing the CIPO record.
Do not let a real detail rush you into paying
The most convincing messages often contain information that is genuinely connected to the business. CIPO warns that IP scams may reference details from public records, include official-looking logos, and threaten loss of rights or legal action.
Check the mismatch:
- The sender knows the business name, but wants payment through a link in a text.
- The message cites a real application number, but the claimed notice is missing from the official record.
- The person uses the title "examiner" or "advisor," but you cannot verify the contact through CIPO or CPATA.
- The deadline is supposedly today, and the sender discourages independent confirmation.
Do not send identity documents, payment information, application files, or verification codes to prove that you own the business. A legitimate-looking request can still be a data collection step.
How to report a fake CIPO text
CIPO provides an official reporting process in its IP Scam Awareness Zone. You can send a screenshot or copy of the message and explain what made it suspicious. Use the email address or phone number shown on that page so you are not relying on contact information copied into an article.
Also:
- Report the text through your mobile provider's spam controls.
- If you paid, contact the financial institution immediately and follow the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre's victim guidance.
- If you shared account credentials, change the password through the genuine service and review active sessions and recovery settings.
- If you shared a CIPO login code, contact CIPO through its official website and secure the account.
- Preserve the text, payment record, emails, and call details before blocking the sender.
Do not republish the phone number as a public warning. Numbers can be spoofed, abandoned, or reassigned, and the scam pattern matters more than one number.
Frequently asked questions
Does CIPO send text messages?
Yes, but only for login codes when you are accessing CIPO's online services. CIPO says those texts do not ask for a reply and do not mention patents, trademarks, payments, or renewal dates.
What if the text includes my real trademark number?
That does not prove the sender is legitimate. Scammers can copy public IP information. Check the official trademark record and its CIPO correspondence.
Does CIPO assign a trademark advisor or examiner by text?
CIPO's August 6 example involved an impersonator directing a client to a fake examiner. Do not use the contact in the text. Verify through CIPO's official site.
What if another company really is trying to register my name?
Do not make that legal assessment from a text message. Review the official record and contact CIPO or a trademark agent whose credentials you verified through CPATA. This article is safety information, not legal advice.
Can Rampart confirm that the text came from CIPO?
No. Rampart may flag suspicious SMS patterns and links, but CIPO's records and official contact channels are the sources for verification.
The safest next step
Pause the conversation and check the record. A legitimate CIPO text is a login code tied to a sign-in you started, not a demand involving a trademark, payment, renewal, or urgent call.
For another warning layer on suspicious messages, see how to block scam texts and emails on iPhone and how Rampart handles SMS and connected email.
Sources
- Canadian Intellectual Property Office, IP Scam Awareness Zone, including text-message examples dated August 6 and August 12, 2026; page modified August 13, 2026.
- Canadian Intellectual Property Office, Canadian Trademarks Database.
- College of Patent Agents and Trademark Agents, Public Register.
- Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, What to do if you're a victim of fraud.