Trucking Scams: Seven Situations Worth Checking

1. Someone Uses Another Company’s Identity

Do not assume that a familiar business name establishes the sender’s authority. Confirm the person’s role using a contact you have independently verified. FMCSA’s identity-theft guidance is a starting point for broker and carrier identity checks.

2. A Load Is Reassigned Without Clear Agreement

Ask which carrier will perform the haul and who approved the arrangement. Unexplained changes can create questions about responsibility and payment. Read our double-brokering guide for the distinction between unauthorized arrangements and authorized co-brokering.

3. Pickup Instructions Change Unexpectedly

A new pickup reference, carrier, or destination should be reconciled with the approved shipment record. Make sure the facility and operations team are working from the same instructions before release. A documented substitution is different from an unexplained mismatch.

4. Payment Is Redirected

A message may ask you to send funds to a different account or payee. Review the change through a known contact and your finance approval procedure. The FBI explains business email compromise and why apparent familiarity is not enough to validate a payment request.

5. An Overpayment Comes With a Refund Request

Do not assume that available bank funds establish that a check is genuine. The FTC’s fake-check guidance explains that a fake check can be discovered after funds become available. Speak with your bank before responding to a suspicious refund request.

6. Documents Tell Different Stories

Compare the shipment references and company details on the tender, pickup information, invoices, and delivery paperwork. Keep earlier versions when something is corrected. Ask the responsible party to explain a discrepancy rather than trying to infer intent from formatting alone.

7. An Urgent Request Bypasses Normal Checks

A legitimate shipment can be time-sensitive. The question is whether someone is asking you to skip the controls that apply to the transaction. Give staff a clear escalation route so they can get a decision without quietly abandoning the process.

Keep the Scope of Tracking Clear

CargoGuard supports driver checks, truck photos, five-second tracking, alerts, and delivery documents. It does not replace banking checks, insurance verification, or payment approval. Use its shipment tools to organize operational information and follow up on exceptions. If you suspect fraud, preserve the records and use the appropriate reporting channels.