New truck driving recruits, currently in driving school, or with future plans of attending, should be cautious. Scam artists are targeting them, military personnel, and their families.
"This was first reported about a month ago when a man called a driving school in North Carolina, pretending to be a carrier in the recruiting area, requesting a list of driving students," Bob Harrigan, Training Manager for Star Transportation, Inc., said. "He was a scam artist and called several times inquiring about different things. His number was eventually traced to a Greyhound bus station in Georgia."
When the scam artist acquires the needed information, he contacts truck driving students and their family members, claiming to be a representative of the driving company, and requests money for the student, for whatever reasons.
"He sounds professional and highly convincing," Bob said. "In some instances, he tells new recruits hoping to be hired that he has a spot for them, but they have to send money for certain expenses. Or, he will contact a family member of a new recruit and indicate they need to send money for their spouse. One student even had his grandfather contacted."
He continued, "These scammers are very sophisticated. They are now using names of people that actually work at trucking companies."
Along with targeting new recruits entering into the driving industry, reports have been made of the same type of scam occurring with military personnel and their families. "These scammers are not only targeting the transportation industry; they're targeting military dependents as well, contacting wives whose husbands are in Iraq. We have had to be very aggressive about this issue. The last incident occurred only a week ago," Bob said. "Even as we were communicating this, one of our orientation attendees was contacted on his cell phone in the orientation class by a scammer."
Star Transportation is asking everyone to be alert. "If you or a loved one is contacted by someone claiming to be a representative of Star or any company, call the published number of that company and verify the information. We will never contact our recruits or their families requesting money," Bob said. "If someone does contact you, report it immediately to law enforcement. A wife of one of our recruits has already lost $200. We do not want to see that happen again."
Star Transportation, headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee, specializes in irregular route, dry van, and truckload services. Company terminals are located in Memphis, Tennessee; Jackson, Mississippi; Atlanta, Georgia; and Orlando, Florida, with a drop yard in Knoxville, Tennessee. Star Transportation employs owner operators, company drivers, and student drivers.