Fraud type · Logistics

Spotting a fake carrier: how to vet a haulier before you load

More and more often a whole load disappears not through a break-in, but because someone poses as a haulier. A few fixed checks make it much harder for fraudsters.

SafetyBizz Knowledge base · updated 16 October 2026 · 6 min read

What is a fake carrier?

A fake carrier is a “haulier” that never intends to deliver. It poses as a reliable transport company, often using the name, address and papers of a real one. Once the freight is loaded, it vanishes without a trace.

The problem is serious enough that in the Netherlands the transport association TLN, insurers, crime-prevention bodies, the police and freight platforms have set up a joint foundation to tackle it. The busy weeks before the holidays are especially risky: planners have less time per order, and fraudsters count on that.

How fake carriers operate

1. A stolen identity

The fraudster uses the details of an existing haulier: name, registration number, licence and sometimes even the website. A quick register check looks fine, because the company really exists. You are just not emailing that company.

2. A look-alike email address

The address resembles the real company's but differs slightly: logistic instead of logistics, an extra letter or another domain. Free email addresses also occur, which is tricky because some genuine hauliers use them too.

3. Forged papers

Insurance certificates, licences and register extracts are forged or copied from real companies. There are known cases where the shipper asked for an insurance certificate, received it, and it turned out to be fake.

4. Re-brokering and rerouting

Sometimes the fake carrier accepts the job and hires a real haulier. On the way, the driver receives a “route change from the customer”: the load must go to another address. The real haulier drives there in good faith, and the load ends up with the fraudster.

Why it costs you more than the load

When a load disappears, the damage is often not limited to the goods. If you hire an unknown haulier without documented checks, you risk the usual liability limit no longer applying. You may then be liable for more than your insurance covers.

Important: record every check, with the date, who did it and what you saw. That is your proof of due care.

10 red flags

The email address differs slightlyfrom the address on the company website or in the register.
The price is strikingly lowor the haulier is available strikingly fast while capacity is tight.
Contact only by email, WhatsApp or mobileand nobody answers the company's landline.
Recently active on the freight exchangeor the profile was changed recently.
Pressure:“we must confirm now, otherwise the truck is gone”.
The papers don't quite match:different spelling, another address, a policy the insurer doesn't know.
A foreign bank accountor one not in the company's name.
An unknown subcontractor appearswhom you have not approved.
Plate or driver differfrom what was announced in advance.
A route change during the tripthat does not come from your own customer.

One red flag is not proof. If you see two or more, stop and check further first.

Checklist: how to vet a new haulier

Look the company up yourself in the official register of its country. Do name, address, number and director match?
Find the contact details yourself, not from the email you received. Call the landline and ask whether your contact works there.
Compare the email address letter by letter with the domain of the official website.
Verify the insurance with the insurer, using a number you looked up yourself.
Check the VAT number in VIES and whether the name matches.
Do not allow subcontracting on freight-exchange jobs without your approval.
Use the four-eyes principle: a second colleague approves every new haulier.
At loading, ask for the agreed order number before handing anything over.
Check plate and driver ID against what the haulier announced.
Record it: driver name and nationality, tractor and trailer plates, a photo if possible.

What to do if it goes wrong

Call the police immediately and report it. Speed matters: sometimes the load can still be found.
Notify your insurer and the freight exchange the job came from.
Keep everything: emails with full headers, chats, documents, plates and call logs.
Warn the real company whose identity was misused.

Let Safetybizz check it

Safetybizz looks the company up in official registers, checks email address, domain, VAT number, bank account and documents, and gives a green, orange or red code. With an AI fraud expert thinking along with you.

See SafetyBizz

Frequently asked questions

What is a fake carrier?

A party posing as a reliable haulier, often with the details of a real transport company, that never intends to deliver. Once loaded, the freight disappears.

Is an insurance certificate enough to trust a haulier?

No. Certificates and licences are forged or copied. Call the insurer yourself, on a number you looked up, and ask whether the policy exists and is valid.

Am I liable if a fake carrier steals my load?

You may be. If you hire an unknown haulier without documented checks, the usual liability limit may not apply and insurance may not cover everything. Always record your checks and seek legal advice if in doubt.

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This page is general information and not legal advice.