4 Tips To Quickly Spot New Entrant Audit SPAM

In one of our previous blogs – Carrier SPAM: How To Decode It & Avoid It – we took a deep dive into the common types of spam causing headaches within the trucking world.

But just as we're sharpening our skills to spot spam, those sneaky scammers are leveling up too, finding clever new ways to hustle carriers out of their hard-earned cash and sensitive info.

In this blog, we are going to discuss the most recent industry SPAM – New Entrant Audit SPAM.

New Entrant Audit Spam

The New Entrant Audit Spam is essentially a deceptive message sent by opportunistic scammers who are pretending to be official FMCSA representatives. Their main goal is to create panic and confusion among new entrants.

Scammers are sending out deceptive messages through email, text, and mail, insisting that carriers must urgently complete their new entrant audit. In some cases, they might even provide a phony link for the purpose to collect confidential information.

These spammy messages often use scare tactics, throwing around phrases like "immediate audit required" or "non-compliance issues detected." They might even threaten penalties or claim your authority is at risk. It's like the classic scam playbook—create urgency and watch people react.

How To Decode New Entrant Audit Spam

New Entrant Audit Spam is particularly alarming because every new entrant must undergo this audit. As a new entrant, you might feel overwhelmed with all the requirements to complete and regulations to comply with, making it easier to fall for this scam.

Fortunately, here are a few tips to help you easily determine whether your new entrant audit request is legitimate or not.

1. The FMCSA will always alert you of your new entrant audit via direct mail or a phone call, NOT a text message or email. Additionally, if you receive suspicious emails, be sure to check both the email address it came from, and the URL linked within the email.
2. You will be given 20 days to complete your audit, with a specific deadline for completion.
3. While there are consequences for not completing your audit, they will not be enforced upon you until after your given completion deadline.
4. If you are uncertain about whether your new entrant audit request is legit, you can always call the FMCSA directly to confirm.

How To Prevent Falling Victim To SPAM

Spam is very prevalent within the trucking industry, and scammers have shown us that they are getting smarter and more strategic on their ways to scam carriers. While you can arm yourself with best practices and tips on steering clear of falling victim to SPAM, a full proof approach is to partner with a safety and DOT compliance support provider. Your safety partner will handle the tracking of your audit deadlines, allowing you to never have to worry about the legitimacy of emails, letters, or texts.