The Latest Freight Scam Rising in Popularity

Cassandra Gaines, CEO of Carrier Assure and host of the MadGaines Podcast, recently highlighted a worrying new trend in freight fraud that's taking the industry by storm. Her post on LinkedIn detailed a scam where fake shippers dupe real brokers with counterfeit shipments. By the time the broker realizes the trickery, the fraudster has long vanished with the payment.

In her video, Cassandra shares these preventative measures:

1. Thoroughly Vet the Shipper: Investigate Google pages, LinkedIn, Email domains, and phone numbers. Ensure the contact info aligns across platforms and call the company-published numbers directly.
2. Employ DMV Reports and Experion: Running a credit check on the purported company can quickly separate the genuine from the fake.
3. Cautious Credit Extensions: Be wary of granting too many shipments on credit, especially with unfamiliar shippers.
4. Guard Against Carrier Fraud: Use resources such as Carrier Assure or the SAFER FMCSA website to validate carriers.

Monte Cedillo, VP of Sales at The ROOTS Logistics, suggested measures like checking a company's W9 and leaning on good old-fashioned common sense. Meanwhile, Russ Damyan highlighted other scams in the sector and urged rigorous vigilance, while Andre Erving of Erving's Connect Logistics expressed frustrations with the FMCSA for what he sees as regulatory gaps.

Source: Cassandra Gaines/LinkedIn