FMCSA Warns of 4 Fake Motus Sites Targeting Trucking Companies

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has issued an urgent alert regarding a coordinated phishing campaign targeting the trucking industry. Scammers are sending emails impersonating FMCSA's newly launched Motus registration platform, directing recipients to four fraudulent websites designed to mimic the legitimate federal portal. This threat arrives during a critical transition period, as carriers and brokers migrate to the new Motus system, creating an ideal window for attackers to exploit uncertainty and operational pressure. The fraudulent emails use the subject line "Notice of Required Off-Cycle Update- Motus email" and urge recipients to click a "New MOTUS Portal" button linking to one of four fake domains: dot.motusdatasboard.com, dot.motusdatadesk.com, dot.motuswebdeck.com, and dot.motusfunction.com.

The authentic portal is exclusively available at motus.dot.gov. The genuine system replaced legacy USDOT registration processes in May 2026, making this an ideal moment for social engineering attacks. The campaign leverages legitimate regulatory concerns, FMCSA suspended biennial-update enforcement on September 10 to ease the transition, but unsolicited correspondence does not override official guidance. For supply chain professionals, this incident underscores the critical importance of credential hygiene and identity verification procedures.

Successful account takeovers could enable unauthorized changes to carrier registration records, potentially facilitating cargo theft, illegal operations, or fraudulent shipment routing. Organizations should implement employee training on domain verification, establish escalation procedures for urgent regulatory notices, and confirm requests through official FMCSA channels (1-800-832-5660) before taking action.