[Patentpractice] clever way to avoid $4000 USPTO fee for "9-year-old-old benefit claim" -file it as a PCT --> would this work ??? or is it to dangerous ??

[William Ahmed]

Dear All,
CURRENT SITUATION
I have an allowed US non-provisional patent application where the oldest benefit claim is from May 2016.The client wants to file a continuation to 'keep something alive' - there is no other reason for now to submit the CON.The client also believes that investors would prefer a portfolio where the US grants have a CON alive.
THE PROBLEM
Since the client is a large entity, the filing fees would be approximately $6,000 since we would be stuck paying $4,000 for "Filing an application or presentation of benefit claim more than nine years after earliest benefit date"
$6,000 is a lot of money.
PROPOSED SOLUTION -- file the CON as a PCT
On the other hand, if we file this continuation in the PCT, the fees now would only be around $3,000, especially if we request a searchin Philippines [ (IPOPHL)]  or in KIPO.
The search report would be 'negative' but "who cares."
This PCT would have no Paris convention claim, so it would have a lifespan of 30 months - keeping it alive for 2.5 years for only $3,000 in fees is great.
POTENTIAL PROBLEM --> When the PCT enters into the US national phase, I would submit an ADS with many many many benefit claims [the allowed application is a CON of a CON of a CON of a 371 of a PCT]. This ADS adding MULTIPLE benefit claims [of multiple generations] would need to be submitted within 4 months of national phase entry.

MY QUESTION --> this seems too good to be true. Could something go wrong?
Many thanks,Bill
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