Free checker for motor carriers

Trucking Scam Checker

The week you get a USDOT number, your phone starts ringing. FMCSA publishes every carrier's name, address and phone number under the government's open data policy, so vendors, filing services and scammers all find you at the same time.

Paste the email, text, letter or call script you received. The checker compares it with what FMCSA and the UCR Plan officially publish: which addresses are fake, what FMCSA never asks for, what is free, and what the 2027 UCR fees really are.

Check a trucking notice Read FAQ

Quick answer

How to tell if an FMCSA or USDOT message is real

Official FMCSA websites end in .gov, and FMCSA says its correspondence almost always comes from a .gov address. FMCSA says it will never request payment or sensitive information such as your PIN, SSN, EIN or bank details through an unsolicited message, and that it does not use telemarketers or robocalls. If a message breaks one of those rules, do not click: call the FMCSA Contact Center yourself at 1-800-832-5660.

Free check

Paste the FMCSA, USDOT or UCR message to check it

The sample copies a fake "Motus portal" email that FMCSA has warned about. Replace it with the email, text, letter wording or call script you received. Leave out your PIN and other private numbers.

Sample loaded

What FMCSA says it will never do

These lines come from FMCSA's own fraud alerts. A message that does any of them is not from FMCSA.

  • Request payment or sensitive information such as your UCR details, PIN, SSN, EIN or bank details through an unsolicited message.
  • Start a contact that demands immediate payment or immediate submission of sensitive information. FMCSA says routine updates and renewals are always started by you, on an official FMCSA site or portal.
  • Contact carriers through telemarketers or robocall solicitations, ask for a credit card number, or charge a fee for its downloadable forms.
  • Threaten a fine if you do not answer within a day. FMCSA says that is not part of its registration process.

The four notices carriers ask about most

Each has its own page with the official facts and a checker.

Official, unofficial service, or scam

Most mail a carrier gets is not a scam. It is a private company selling something you can often do yourself. The checker keeps the three cases apart.

  • Official: the address ends in .gov, you started the contact, and nothing sensitive is requested by email or phone.
  • Unofficial service: a private company that files your UCR, BOC-3 or update for you. That is legal. It adds its own service fee, and it must not pretend to be the government.
  • Scam: it poses as FMCSA or USDOT, uses a lookalike address, asks for your PIN, SSN, EIN or bank details, or threatens fines on a short deadline.

If you already clicked or paid

Act the same day.

  • If you typed your FMCSA Portal login or USDOT PIN, contact the FMCSA Contact Center at 1-800-832-5660 or ask.fmcsa.dot.gov and ask how to secure your account.
  • If you gave bank or card details, call your bank or card issuer now and dispute the charge.
  • Report it to the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov and to the FBI at ic3.gov. FMCSA asks carriers to do both.
  • Look up your company on the official SAFER Company Snapshot and confirm your details were not changed.

Example: the fake Motus portal email

Input

Notice of Required Off-Cycle Update - Motus. Your carrier profile is incomplete. Update it within 24 hours at the New MOTUS Portal https://dot.motusdatadesk.com or your USDOT number will be deactivated.

What to notice

  • FMCSA lists dot.motusdatadesk.com as a bogus address. The real Motus site is motus.dot.gov.
  • The 24-hour deadline and the deactivation threat are pressure tactics. FMCSA says routine updates are always started by the carrier.

Trucking scam checker FAQ

Is ScamSpot part of FMCSA or the government?

No. ScamSpot is an independent website. It is not FMCSA, USDOT or the UCR Plan. It compares the message you paste with rules those agencies publish, and links to the official page behind each one.

Does FMCSA ever email from a non-.gov address?

FMCSA says almost all official correspondence comes from a .gov address. The exception it names is a customer satisfaction survey after you contact its Contact Center, which asks for feedback only and never for personal, payment or account information.

Why do I get so many calls right after registering?

FMCSA publicly displays motor carrier contact information under the government's open data policy, for existing carriers and for new applicants. FMCSA says that once it is public you may be contacted by private businesses and vendors, and that FMCSA itself will not call you immediately after you apply.

Is a company that charges to file my UCR a scam?

Not by itself. Private filing services are legal. They charge their own fee on top of the government fee, and you can register yourself at ucr.gov. It becomes a problem when the company poses as the government or hides that it is a private service.

What should I leave out when I paste a message?

Your USDOT PIN, FMCSA Portal password, SSN, EIN and bank details. The checker does not need them.

Can the checker guarantee a message is safe?

No. It is an automated first check. When money or account access is involved, verify with FMCSA at 1-800-832-5660 or with the UCR Plan at 1-833-827-7526.

Official sources

Every rule this page applies comes from one of these official pages, read on September 21, 2026.

ScamSpot is an independent website. It is not FMCSA, USDOT or the UCR Plan.