If you're a trucker, you might be the target of a new scam making the rounds. Groups are posing as DOT compliance officers and shaking truckers down for money, to the tune of millions of dollars.
Here's how the scam works: a group of people will pull up to a truck stop in a car or van with DOT markings. They'll approach truckers and tell them that they need to inspect their vehicles for compliance with DOT regulations.
The truckers, not wanting to get into trouble, will go along with the inspection. But instead of finding anything wrong with the trucks, the "inspectors" will find some minor infraction like a loose lugnut or an expired registration sticker. They'll then tell the trucker that they need to pay a fine on the spot, usually around $1000.
If the trucker doesn't have the cash on hand, the "inspector" will offer to take a check or credit card. But once they have the trucker's information, they'll just disappear without ever issuing a receipt or citation. The trucker is out the money and none the wiser.
This scam has been going on for years
Here's how the scam works: a group of people will pull up to a truck stop in a car or van with DOT markings. They'll approach truckers and tell them that they need to inspect their vehicles for compliance with DOT regulations.
The truckers, not wanting to get into trouble, will go along with the inspection. But instead of finding anything wrong with the trucks, the "inspectors" will find some minor infraction like a loose lugnut or an expired registration sticker. They'll then tell the trucker that they need to pay a fine on the spot, usually around $1000.
If the trucker doesn't have the cash on hand, the "inspector" will offer to take a check or credit card. But once they have the trucker's information, they'll just disappear without ever issuing a receipt or citation. The trucker is out the money and none the wiser.
This scam has been going on for years