Carriers report new wave of fraudulent DOT letters

TORONTO — Trucking groups in Canada and the U.S. are warning carriers of a new round of fraudulent letters from scammers purporting to be from the U.S. Department of Transportation.

The so-called "phishing" letters, are usually sent via fax to trucking companies requesting payment or personal data and banking account information.

The Ontario Trucking Association and the U.S. owner-op group OOIDA are two groups warning that a new wave of letters has been circulating.

The DOT letterhead on the faxes appears authentic, authorities say (click here for an example). Usually, it claims to be from a senior procurement officer informing companies they are registered as a prospective contractor for DOT procurements, or a variation of that theme.

The letter then states that the business has not submitted its financial information release form and asks companies to provide bank account numbers, bank name, telephone and fax numbers.
According to OOIDA, the letters are signed by a fake name, such as “Joshua Greenberg, Senior Procurement Officer.” The return address is also ‘400 Seventh St. SW, Washington, DC,’ which is the former address of the U.S. DOT headquarters.

Companies that receive such letters are asked to call the U.S. DOT Office of Inspector General at 800-424-9071, or submit a complaint online at www.oig.dot.gov/hotlineform.jsp.