The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is warning motor carriers of an email phishing scam involving a fake DOT safety audit.

An email is being sent to registered motor carriers by someone pretending to be FMCSA and notifying the recipient that they need to schedule a safety audit. The link to request the safety audit has what appears to be a SAFER URL and mirrors FMCSA’s MC-150, but includes fields to enter a PIN #, EIN #, and Social Security Number.

Phishing e-mails masquerade as being from reputable companies or entities in order to get the recipient to reveal personal information, such as passwords and credit card numbers. In this case, some of the information being requested is not only sensitive personal information that could be used for purposes such as identity theft, but this information would also allow the unauthorized party to gain access to your FMCSA account.

The agency says the email containing the link is very convincing as coming from FMCSA.

FMCSA explains that communications relating to safety audits will typically come directly from an FMCSA dedicated mailbox, or from the state entity that has been assigned the responsibility to conduct the safety audit. While these emails typically end in a “.gov”, FMCSA recommends that you verify any potentially suspicious email or communication with the appropriate agency or contact your FMCSA Division Office directly to clarify.

The Federal Trade Commission has some advice on how to recognize phishing scams.