Fleet Management News & Business Info | Commercial Carrier Journal
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/741858
FRAUD & SCAMS BY SONNY SMITH, DIRECTOR OF ASSURANCE SERVICES, TRUCKSTOP.COM 1. Frequent Password Changes is applies to all your accounts – email, Truckstop.com, banking, social media and all others. It is wise to change your password every so oen to ensure the integrity of the account has not been compromised. Most sites now require a more sophisticated password, combination of letters and numbers, capitalized and lower case, and a symbol as well. For Truckstop.com accounts, remember it is best to change a password every time an employee leaves, or if you ever suspect somebody may be accessing your account. If this is the case, change the password immediately. 2. Double Check with Whom You are Speaking Whether it is while booking a load, or simply receiving an interesting phone call that is a little suspicious, verifying w h o you are talking to is important. ere are many search engines on the internet and they can be a valuable resource. If you are unsure about a number, simply type it into a search engine and sort through the responses. Also use that same tactic to run the companies name they are claiming to be. If they are a legitimate company most likely something will populate with the search. If there are multiple results which come back stating fraud, use extreme caution. 3. Verify Authority and Insurance/ Bond While verifying phone numbers and company names, another tool to use are the FMCSA and SAFER websites. is can be utilized to verify carrier or broker authority is active and insurance or bonds are active and current. Truckstop.com has developed a tool, CPR, for brokers to research carriers and determine their rating. For carriers, CreditStop Broker can be used to see how reliable a given broker is. 4. Read Contract/ Paperwork Thoroughly Once paperwork has been exchanged, read through, and fully understand the contract. Be sure to note detention costs, delivery times and specifics about the load. is may feel tedious at times and takes a few minutes of your already hectic day, it could turn out to save you money in the long run and a lot of headaches in the future. Making sure the contracts and paperwork is all in order will help ensure you are dealing with who you think you are. T imes have changed. As the world and technology have evolved and grown, so they have within the transportation industry. Many of the advances in technology have aided in the growth and expansion of the transportation industry. is growth has been felt from the large companies to the single owner operator and small brokerages. On the flip side, these same advances have made it easier and easier for identity thieves and nefarious individuals to wreak havoc on your personal lives and businesses. Around every corner there are cautions for all types of frauds and scams that are a ploy to take money from hard workers, with as little effort as possible. e tools and equipment used to produce these frauds and scams has also evolved throughout the same timeframe. Fraudsters and scammers are using technology to steal identities, scam brokers, shippers and carriers out of loads, and stealing person, private information from companies and individuals for monetary gain. In an effort to protect our clients and the industry, Truckstop.com has compiled a list of ideas for how to protect yourself and your business: Four Ways to Protect You and Your Business Sonny Smith is the Director of Assurance Services for Truckstop.com focusing on service and support management for Truckstop.com's CreditStop, CACCI, and CPR service offerings as well as cyber security. 16 IT MAGAZINE Vo l . 1 0 , N o . 6