The diesel bears want you to keep your eyes open! A new round of fraudulent U.S. Department of Transportation letters dated March 16, 2012 are starting to circulate among motor carriers.

The letters appear to be from the "U.S. Department of Transportation Procurement Office" and are signed by a fictitious name of "Julie Weynel – Senior Procurement Officer." The letters are attempting to obtain banking information from targeted freight trucking companies.

If you received one of these letters, DO NOT RESPOND. Instead, report it to DOT by contacting the Office of Inspector General Hotline at (800) 424–9071. The OIG may also provide your information to the U.S. Secret Service office.

If you have already responded to a suspected fraudulent request, please notify your financial institution immediately and contact the DOT OIG Hotline at (800) 424–9071. We also encourage you to contact your local law enforcement agency and call your regional U.S. Secret Service office. Because these types of identity theft scams are often conducted from outside the United States of America, it may be extremely difficult to identify and prosecute the perpetrators. If you think you have been a victim of identity theft, you may want to review the Secret Service’s tips for victims of fraud.

The FMCSA wants motor carriers to be aware of this new round of fraudulent financial data collection activity, and to be suspicious whenever banking information is requested from you.

Authentic direct communication from DOT should always be accompanied with detailed contact information. In addition, DOT procurement representatives will only request financial information in reference to specific contracts awarded. DOT does not request financial information from prospective contractors wishing to submit a bid proposal or quote.

If you have questions about a DOT request regarding procurement, please contact the Office of the Senior Procurement Executive at (202) 366–4263 or the office of procurement for any of the individual DOT operating administrations.