Earlier this week, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration warned about the latest email phishing scam that is targeting motor carriers.
The fake email appears to come from FMCSA and is focused on hijacking a motor carrier’s authority.
The OOIDA Foundation, which is the research and education arm of the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, is working to inform truckers about the scam and how to avoid the bait.
As part of the most recent scam, emails appear to be from FMCSA and include a .gov domain. The emails often ask for a Social Security number or USDOT personal identification number.
“OOIDA’s Compliance Department has been inundated with calls from members describing a sophisticated phishing scam to get their PIN and business information,” the OOIDA Foundation wrote.
How the scam works
The official-looking email claims to be from FMCSA and asks you to fill out the attached forms about your trucking company. In most cases, the scammers also ask for your USDOT PIN.
Giving the scammers your PIN is where real trouble can start.
“Anyone with this information can now become you,” the OOIDA Foundation wrote. “Your MC and DOT numbers are easily discovered on the SAFER site, but the PIN is not listed and is to be safeguarded as a personal identifier.”
That information is enough for the scammer to hijack a motor carrier’s authority.
“The scammer can book a load or several loads with a shipper or through a broker and take those loads and sell them for 100% profit,” the OOIDA Foundation wrote.
A key thing to remember is that FMCSA will not ask for a motor carrier’s USDOT PIN on manual forms or over the phone.
Learn more about phishing scams
The OOIDA Foundation created an educational video aimed at helping truckers identify and prevent phishing scams. LL
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