DOT warns of fraudulent letter being sent to carriers

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Updated Aug 9, 2013

Fraudulent letters claiming to be sent by the U.S. Department of Transportation are being sent to motor carriers, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration says.

The letters are dated July 10 and are being mostly sent via fax. They appear to be from the DOT’s Transportation Procurement Office and are signed by a fictitious name: Julie Weynel, Senior Procurement Officer.

Weynel is not an employee of the DOT, the agency says.

Motor carriers “should be vigilant,” says FMCSA and “on the lookout for fraudulent attempts to gather financial” or other personal information via fax, email or telephone. FMCSA says to also ensure employees are vigilant in ensuring requests for information are not fraudulent.

Any direct communication from the DOT should be accompanied with detailed contact information, the DOT says.

If you have a question about any requests made, contact the office of Senior Procurement at (202) 366-4263. To report receiving the fraudulent letter, click here to visit the DOT’s Office of Inspector General site or call (800) 424-9071.