The U.S. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is warning of a new round of fraudulent letters to petroleum marketers which is part of a reoccurring nationwide identity theft scheme, reports Petroleum Marketers Association of America (PMAA) Weekly Review.
The letter targets both marketers bidding for contracts or supply quotes with U.S. government agencies as well as those who are not involved with government contracting, the Weekly Review reports. The letter appears on U.S Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT) letterhead and is entitled “Authorization to Release Financial Information Form”. The letter generally arrives by fax and typically signed by Julie Weynel claiming to be a “Senior Procurement Officer” with the U.S. DOT. A Washington, DC address is included in the letter but little other identifying information is provided. This letter is fraudulent. The U.S. DOT never requests financial information from prospective contractors wishing to submit bid proposals or quotes for goods or services. Other versions of a similar letter have been sent out to contractors purporting to be from Equifax and other companies. These letters are also a fraudulent means to obtain financial information.
The DOT recommends that any company responding to the fraudulent letter notify their financial institution immediately. For questions about a DOT request regarding procurement, 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. If you would like to report a fraudulent request for information to DOT, please contact the Office of Inspector General (OIG) by calling (800) 424–9071.
For an example of the letters being sent to prospective U.S. government contractors click here. For more information on the letters from Equifax, visit its website.
