If I were a scammer, 1. I'd pretend to need processing fees for this and processing fees for that (perhaps I'd pretend that I needed to bribe some officials by

If I were a scammer, 1. I'd pretend to need processing fees for this and processing fees for that (perhaps I'd pretend that I needed to bribe some officials by your additional money), 2. prolong this process as long as the mark ("brand holder") is willing to give you money, 3. PROFIT!!! (The actual "formal application" need not actually exist.) Of course, this is all based on the assumption that it is a scam (of which I don't have any data either way).