Freight Fraud Red Flags: Ten Details to Verify

1. Contact Details That Do Not Match

Check whether the person arranging the shipment can be reached through a verified business contact. FMCSA recommends confirming broker and carrier phone numbers through SAFER.

2. Unexplained Carrier Changes

Ask who will actually perform the haul when the carrier name changes. Confirm who authorized the change and whether the pickup facility has the correct details.

3. Different Equipment at Pickup

A replacement tractor or trailer may have a valid explanation. Match it to the updated shipment instructions and record the approval before proceeding.

4. Conflicting Documents

Compare company names, load numbers, pickup references, and destinations. Request an explanation for a mismatch and retain both the original and corrected record.

5. Requests to Misrepresent Identity

A request to conceal who is hauling a shipment needs immediate review. Do not ask a driver or shipping clerk to resolve that concern by simply changing the paperwork.

6. Changed Payment Instructions

Verify a new payee or account using a known contact. The FBI’s business email compromise guidance explains payment-redirection tactics and checks.

7. Pressure to Skip Your Process

A tight appointment may be legitimate. The concern is a request to bypass an agreed approval, identity check, or payment control without a clear explanation.

8. Unexpected Destination Changes

Establish who requested the new destination and whether they have authority to change it. Update the shipment record and communicate the decision to the parties who need it.

9. Missing or Conflicting Updates

A stale location or missed call can have an ordinary operational cause. Try a known contact, review the last confirmed event, and escalate unresolved gaps through your team’s procedure.

10. Answers That Leave the Same Question Unresolved

Keep track of what you asked and what was actually answered. If the truck, carrier, payment, or destination still cannot be confirmed, assign a reviewer and decide what must be resolved before the next step.

Avoid Shortcuts That Mislabel Legitimate Businesses

A new website, few reviews, a virtual office, or a free email address does not by itself prove fraud. Judge the specific transaction using consistent checks. Avoid accusing a business because it is small or new.

Bring the Shipment Evidence Together

CargoGuard supports driver checks, truck photos, five-second tracking, alerts, and delivery documents. The driver verification workflow can help your team review information, while the double-brokering guide explains a related risk. Decide who resolves discrepancies; a software warning does not establish criminal conduct.