Phishing schemes and other forms of cyber theft aren’t unique. Anyone with an email or cell phone is likely confronted with some level of scam multiple times a month, if not more frequently.
But there’s a recent phishing scam you need to be on the lookout for. This one specifically targets motor carriers.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration began warning truckers about the scheme this week.
“FMCSA has identified a new, aggressive phishing campaign in which motor carriers receive emails falsely claiming to be from the U.S. Department of Transportation or FMCSA officials,” the agency wrote in an emergency bulletin. “These emails often contain professional-looking documents and legitimate-looking links, but they are fake and designed to steal sensitive information or demand illegal payments.”
To protect carriers from the phishing scam, FMCSA provided a “need to know” list:
- These emails DO NOT come from USDOT or FMCSA.
- Official FMCSA correspondence almost always uses an email address ending in .gov. In special circumstances, such as customer satisfaction surveys after contacting the FMCSA Contact Center, emails may come from a non-.gov address. These surveys request feedback only and will not ask for personal, payment or account information.
- Links in phishing emails typically lead to suspicious, non-.gov domains (for example, fmcsa.web.saferwebdattaconnect.pro).
- FMCSA will never request payment or sensitive information (like UCR, PIN, SSN, EIN or bank details) through unsolicited messages.
- If you have any doubts, avoid clicking links and verify all communications directly through official FMCSA channels, including contacting the FMCSA Call Center at https://ask.fmcsa.dot.gov/app/ticket or call 800-832-5660.
FMCSA also provided a list of suggestions in case you receive a suspicious email:
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