The U.S. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) issued a warning to carriers that some fraudsters are seeking financial information from truckers via emails or faxes.
In particular, faxes or emails purported to be from a ‘U.S. Department of Transport (DOT) procurement officer named Julie Weynel’ should be flagged and authorities should be called.
Although they appear so, the letters are not legitimate. The name Julie Weynel does not work for the DOT, nor is she likely a real person.
“Motor carrier officials and their employees–as well as government and law enforcement officials–should be vigilant and on the lookout for fraudulent attempts to gather financial (or other personal identifiable Information–PII) data by fax, e-mail, or telephone. Requestors should be verified and authenticated before such data is provided, according to FMCSA officials.”
Additional information is available on the USDOT Office of Inspector General Website
