FMCSA phishing check

Fake FMCSA Email Checker

On January 30, 2026, FMCSA warned carriers about a new, aggressive phishing campaign: emails that claim to come from USDOT or FMCSA officials, with professional-looking documents and legitimate-looking links, built to steal sensitive information or demand illegal payments.

FMCSA keeps a public list of the fake domains and sender addresses it has seen. This page checks your email against that list and against the rules FMCSA says it always follows.

Check an FMCSA email Read FAQ

Quick answer

How to tell if an FMCSA email is fake

Look at where the links and the sender address end. FMCSA says its websites end in .gov and its correspondence almost always comes from a .gov address. Phishing emails typically link to non-.gov domains that only look official, such as the fmcsa.web.saferwebdattaconnect.pro example FMCSA published. FMCSA also says it will never request payment, your PIN, SSN, EIN or bank details through an unsolicited message.

Free check

Paste the FMCSA or USDOT email to check it

Include the sender address, the subject and any visible links. Leave out your PIN, password and tax numbers.

Sample loaded

Fake themes FMCSA has published

These are alert titles from FMCSA's Fraud Alerts page. If your email matches one, treat it as fake.

  • A "New MOTUS Portal" asking for an off-cycle update. The real Motus address is motus.dot.gov.
  • SAFER impersonation: emails asking you to verify a payment and fuel system linked to your MC or DOT number.
  • A fake safety audit request, with a form that asks for your PIN, EIN and Social Security number.
  • A bogus "Notice of Carrier Status" saying your carrier profile is not authorized.
  • "Incomplete carrier profile", "action required", "compliance notice" and "validation notice" emails.
  • Fake documents that claim to come from FMCSA officials, with wrong titles, design or spelling.

Domains FMCSA has listed as bogus

FMCSA published these in its fraud alerts. None of them is a government site.

  • Fake Motus portals: dot.motusdatasboard.com, dot.motusdatadesk.com, dot.motuswebdeck.com, dot.motusfunction.com.
  • Fake SAFER and FMCSA sites: fmcsa.dot.saferweboperations.info, fmcsa.dot.saferwebmonitoringcenter.info, safer.web.dotgov.info, safer.web.dotdatachecker.info, safer.web.fmcsadatapanel.pro, fmcsa.dot.saferwebcompanies.pro, fmcsa.dot.saferweb.us, fmcsa.web.saferwebdataconnect.pro.
  • Fake audit sender: an address at audit-safer.com.
  • New ones appear all the time. A domain missing from this list is not proven safe: check that it ends in .gov.

What FMCSA says it never does

  • 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.

What to do with a suspicious FMCSA email

FMCSA's own instructions:

  • Do not click links or open attachments.
  • Do not reply to the sender.
  • Report it to the FMCSA Contact Center at ask.fmcsa.dot.gov or 1-800-832-5660.
  • File a complaint with the FBI at ic3.gov.
  • If the email is about a safety audit: FMCSA says audit communications typically come from a dedicated FMCSA mailbox or from the state agency assigned to your audit, that those addresses typically end in .gov, and that you can confirm with your FMCSA Division Office.

Example: bogus Notice of Carrier Status

Input

From: notify@dotgov.info. Subject: Notice of Carrier Status - NOT AUTHORIZED. Your carrier record is not authorized. Verify it within 24 hours at https://safer.web.dotgov.info/verify or your USDOT number will be deactivated.

What to notice

  • FMCSA lists dotgov.info among the bogus sender and link domains. It imitates "dot.gov", but it is a .info address.
  • "Not authorized" plus a 24-hour deadline is the pressure pattern FMCSA describes in its Bogus Notice of Carrier Status alert.

Fake FMCSA email FAQ

Did FMCSA really send a warning about phishing?

Yes. FMCSA published "ALERT! Recent Phishing Scheme Targets Motor Carriers" on January 30, 2026, describing emails that falsely claim to be from USDOT or FMCSA officials.

Why are new carriers targeted?

FMCSA publicly displays motor carrier contact information under the government's open data policy, including for new applicants. Anyone can read it, including scammers, so new carriers often get suspicious email shortly after they apply.

The email has my real USDOT number and company name. Does that prove it is real?

No. That information is public. Anyone can copy a carrier's name, address, phone and USDOT number into an email.

Will FMCSA ever ask for my PIN or SSN by email?

FMCSA says it will never request Social Security numbers, bank account details or credit card information through unsolicited emails or phone calls. In its alert about fake forms, FMCSA says its official forms do not require your SSN and USDOT PIN.

I clicked the link. What now?

Close the page and do not enter anything. If you typed a password or PIN, contact the FMCSA Contact Center at 1-800-832-5660 and ask how to secure your account. Then report the email to the FTC and the FBI's IC3.

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.

Official sources

The alert, the domain list and the rules on this page come from these official pages, read on September 21, 2026.

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