As Hurricane Milton wreaks historic tolls amidst Helene recovery efforts, fraudsters are taking advantage of the chaos.
How Fraudsters Are Using Hurricanes Milton and Helene to Their Advantage
In many ways, Hurricane Milton was the perfect storm. Densely populated, metropolitan areas were directly affected. The residual debris from Helene had not totally been removed. All these factors contributed to a catastrophic aftermath that will take months to recover from fully.
Tragically, this perfect storm extends to the world of fraud.
Because the demand for emergency supplies is extreme, rates in recovering areas are exceptional. These circumstances make it difficult for carriers to differentiate between “too-good-to-be-true” and authentic loads.
FEMA loads and emergency loads by other credible organizations are primarily being targeted.
So, how can you tell if a load is fraudulent?
Identifying Fraudulent Loads
There are several ways truckers can identify potential fraud.
- Always validate that the MC/USDOT number is legitimately registered with the alleged carrier. You can verify this information for free at org.
- Stick to credible load boards that only work with prequalified carriers. This will drastically increase your chances of working with authentic brokers.
- Double, triple, and quadruple-check that domains, phone numbers, or email addresses match what the organization purports to be. Scammers will often change a single character in their information to appear legitimate.
- Trust your gut. Did a phone call seem unnecessarily urgent? Was the caller pushy? Did the broker request to take the conversation to a more private platform? These are all red flags.
Scammers are making the most of a tragedy. As truckers look to assist in moving emergency supplies to affected areas, they should exercise caution in identifying suspicious loads.
By verifying essential information, using credible load boards, and trusting your intuition, you can thwart fraud and continue to provide life-saving supplies to those who need them.
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