Capital One files lawsuit against alleged 'scam campaign' operators — for trademark infringement

People are reflected at the Capital One building on April 20, 2026 in New York City. Zamek | View Press | Corbis News | Capital One filed a lawsuit Tuesday against operators of alleged "scam campaigns," accusing them of something unexpected: trademark infringement. The suit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, lists 10 "persons and/or entities of unknown identity" as defendants. Those John Does operate large-scale robocall and telemarketing campaigns that misuse trademarks for Capital One or its subsidiary Discover, according to the lawsuit. The complaint alleges that the defendants use automated or prerecorded calls posing as representatives for the bank, and follow familiar scripts that warn of suspicious charges and ask the recipient to confirm the transaction or their identity. "Using these illegal communications referencing the CAPITAL ONE and DISCOVER trademarks, Defendants misled and/or deceived consumers, and targeted consumers across the country," according to the lawsuit.