Scammer tried to book a load with my numbers yesterday.

I got this email yesterday from the logistics coordinator at Integrity Express Logistics out of Cinci OH, asking if I had contacted them to book a load.

"Hello,

Please advise if the person below is authorized to book loads for your company. Due to recent fraud and scams in the logistics world, we take an extra step to verify who is contacting us on behalf of your MC#.

Thanks,"

I replied that, "the only one authorized to book loads for my company is ME."

So we emailed each other about a half-dozen times. She said that the email and phone numbers didn't match what was on SAFER, so that's why she contacted me. I ended up getting set up with her and she offered me seafood loads when I hit the road again.

I have the email address of the scammer and I had started to write him a strongly worded email. But then I realized that I really didn't know who they were or what they were capable of, so I didn't want to make myself a target. What should I do with the info? Contact FMCSA, USDOT, FBI?

Anyway, I posted this to let you guys know that the scammers are still at it, despite all the talk about tightening up the industry. Please verify all emails and phone numbers with SAFER before booking a load. Lately, I've noticed a lot of postings on DAT where the "brokers" specifically state to contact them at their personal email, usually gmail. To me, this is fishy. To you brokers out there, is there a specific benefit or reason for a LEGIT broker to do this?

 

i have 2-3 times a week brokers calling me to verify if my dispatch is authorized because of the same reason

 

Yup this stuff is pretty common. I have my own numbers i have idleing if anything happens with the place im leased onto or laws change. Thing is i have actully never hauled a single load under them yet. I just have them as a back pocket item since my insurance has an option for it and its only like $500 a year.

I STILL get a call every few weeks asking if i booked a load...which it is obvious i have not.

 

The internet has become one giant sewer.

Just like the promises of television back in the 1950's becoming this wonderful tool to educate and bring the world together in peace.
How did that work out?

 

^^^^^^^ True words…..

 

How much you paying to keep ur numbers idling and what kind of coverage is required.thx

 

Mostly the avarice of large colleges and companies after about 5 years from founding decent tools, that created centralization, the govt solidifying that and wanting to regulate, and telecoms greed and lies in taking yours AND the govts money (but i repeat myself) deciding who gets access and how much to overcharge you for it...

If we are talking about the internet that is.

 

All of this is extremely common.

When I got my authority in 2019, the officer I spoke with said that there are gangs of serbians and Russians going around creating fake CDLs and running fake numbers.

A while back I had a company contact me about a load. I said I never hauled your load.

She said yes you did you picked it up on such and such date these are your numbers..

Well they never checked for the right email or phone number and they gave the load to some Criminal.

Apparently this stuff goes on all the time and it's the broker's fault for not verifying who it actually is.

 

The old timers need to chime in with how common this kinda thing was in the 70s, because with almost NO ready access to anyones number etc, im absolutely certain that back then, the cargo theft happened a lot more easily and untraceably

 

I just have an old ford transit i use to run parts i slapped the numbers on. Insurance diffrence is $500 a year ($2100ish before $2600ish now) when it was a personal vehicle since i put less then 1k miles a year on it and its all non hazmat "cargo" and under 10,001. Likely another $250 for all the yearly fees and crap. YMMV with what your insurance will let you get away with though. Mine is a local branch and the dude knows i put all of 320 miles on the thing last year lol.