ALERT - Fictitious Pickups on the Rise in the US

Challenges within the shipping industry continue, and in this technological era, it is now more important than ever to protect your cargo from potential fictitious pickups. Recently the WSSA insurance program has witnessed unprecedented cyber-crimes involving trucker load boards and falsification of trucker bills of lading and pickup documents. Some of our members and partners have recently fallen victim to these exact crimes. If you or your freight forwarder are utilizing truck brokers to source your final mile deliveries, we recommend taking extra measures when vetting these transportation partners as they may be unwitting subjects to fictitious pickups through identity theft and fraud, and the subsequent potential of cargo theft. WSSA has been working diligently with investigators to mitigate any future events or losses due to the actions of these criminals, but we continue to ask our insurance members to remain diligent when verifying trucker pickups. Below are a few tips and tricks that we suggest.

Don't be afraid to pick up the phone and call the carrier directly to verify legitimacy if you have any inkling of fraudulent activity. If a phone line is disconnected, or you are receiving conflicting reports from the driver, this may indicate an issue.

All truckers should be vetted through platforms like the FMCSA website and the SAFER System (Safety and Fitness Electronic Records). Cross referencing phone numbers, emails and websites through these platforms can help weed out any fraudulent parties. If you or your freight forwarder use a truck broker, make sure you know the company that is being hired to transport your goods, before they depart.

Have an employee on site during the time of pickup to examine documents for legitimacy. Additionally, we suggest going the extra step and taking photographs of the truck, license plate, truck driver, and driver's license should you need to reference them in the future.

Overall, taking the extra step to cross check documentation, driver identities, DOT numbers, vehicles markings, etc. will go a long way in avoiding fraudulent pickups and scams.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us or email us for information at: [email protected]

Source: WSSA (Wine and Spirits Shippers Association, Inc.)

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