Phishing scam impersonating USDOT and FMCSA targets motor carriers nationwide

February 2, 2026

A new wave of fraudulent emails impersonating the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is circulating among motor carriers, prompting federal officials to issue an urgent warning to the industry. The scheme, described as unusually aggressive, uses convincing documents and realistic looking links to trick recipients into sharing sensitive information or making unauthorized payments.

Spotting the scam

According to FMCSA, the emails aren’t coming from any legitimate government source, despite appearing official. Many messages include branding, signatures, or formatting similar to authentic USDOT or FMCSA correspondence. However, the agency stresses that official communication almost always comes from email addresses ending in .gov. The only exception is when FMCSA sends customer satisfaction surveys following interactions with its Contact Center, and those messages never request personal or financial information.

Investigators note that fraudulent emails often contain links directing users to suspicious, non government domains. One example cited by FMCSA includes a URL resembling an FMCSA service site but ending in an unfamiliar extension. These links are designed to harvest data or pressure carriers into paying bogus fees.

FMCSA emphasized that it never solicits sensitive information such as Social Security numbers, bank details, Unified Carrier Registration (UCR) payments, or PIN numbers through unsolicited emails or phone calls. Any legitimate request for such information must be initiated by the carrier through official FMCSA channels.

How to verify authenticity

Motor carriers are urged to remain vigilant. Officials recommend both hovering over links to verify the true destination before clicking and double checking that any website link ends in .gov. If there is any uncertainty, carriers should contact FMCSA directly through its official help portal or by calling the agency’s Call Center at 1-800-832-5660.

Those who receive suspicious emails are advised not to click links, open attachments, or reply to the sender. Instead, FMCSA encourages reporting the incident to the FMCSA Contact Center. Additional guidance on identifying phishing attempts is available through the Federal Trade Commission.

As cybercriminals continue to target the transportation sector, FMCSA urges carriers to stay alert and verify all unexpected communications to protect their businesses and industry partners.

Publish Date

February 2, 2026

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Industry News

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