Scammers are trying to trick truckers into paying for a free filing service.

The Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) has issued a scam alert about fraudulent marketers who are trying to trick truckers into paying for a free service.

Last week, WisDOT issued a warning to motor carriers regarding “‘scam’ style letters requesting trucking companies pay to file their DOT biennial update.” The letters refer to the renewal of the USDOT number with the Federal Motor Carriers Safety Administration (FMCSA) that must be filed every two years.

Important reminder from Wisconsin DOT to be wary of fraudulent, misleading or aggressive marketing attempts.FMCSA does… Posted by Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration on Tuesday, September 3, 2019

WisDOT says that the scam letters contain links that lead to websites that are not connected to state or federal DOT and that the letters threaten truckers with fines if they fail to pay.

WisDOt reminds drivers that biennial filing may be done free at the FMCSA website (www.fmcsa.dot.gov/registration/updating-your-registration).

They also remind drivers to look for website URLs that end in .GOV to distinguish official government websites from scammer sites.