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DOT, FMCSA issue warning on Equifax scam letter

The U.S. Department of Transportation and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration are warning motor carriers to be on the lookout for a new fraud scheme designed to get banking and financial information from unsuspecting victims.

The letter targets motor carriers who are registered as prospective contractors for procurements issued by the federal government, and it requests a financial information release.

According to the DOT website, the agency does not actually require any financial information be submitted in order for a motor carrier to be eligible for procurements.

The phony document follows a well-used template that the DOT has issued dozens of warnings about since at least 2005. All of the letters claim to have been sent on behalf of Equifax, a credit reporting agency. The latest letters are signed by “Thad Brown.”

If you suspect you have received one of these letters, immediately contact Department of Transportation Office of the Inspector General Hotline at 800-424-9071. A list of similar fraudulent letters is available online here.

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