New scam alert
Debbie with Arbuckle Truck Driving School reports:
I received a call from a man named Joe Tucker last week, 6-14-10, representing a company called “ZODIAC,” phone # (505) 272-8719, looking for 4 drivers ASAP. He said, Felony/ DUI ok after 5 years but no drugs, a 4 day orientation would be in Dallas, they would provide bus ticket, food and hotel. Pay was $450 per wk. after orientation during training and 28 cents per mile when you got in a truck on your own. Out 14 days, home 4 days. Carl called him ( incognito) to verify information because of the last scam. Everything sounded legitimate and he was not asked for money upfront, but since we were still wary we told past students that were interested to ask a lot of questions and if any monies were requested by Mr. Tucker, to let us know immediately. Mr. Tucker called again 6-16-10 to ask if I had anyone else calling him and gave me another phone number to contact him (505) 205-7634.
I received a call this morning, 6-21-10, from one of my graduates and he was told Friday 6-18-10 ( through a number of calls) that he was accepted for employment and they would get him a bus ticket for orientation in Atlanta (?this is not the location told to us) or meet him with an ‘09 Pete at the truckstop here. The grad chose to meet him. Joe Tucker called him back a few minutes later and said that his boss wanted a guarantee that he would show up to meet that truck and that he would need to send $400.00 that would be reimbursed when he picked up the truck. My student told him he didn’t have that kind of money and no, he could not borrow it. Joe Tucker said that he would speak to his boss and would be calling my grad. back with a confirmation. Needless to say that was the last communication he received from Mr. Tucker.
I wanted to pass this info on to you since it sounds like the scammers are back.
As always, check out carefully any job offer where you are asked for up-front money.
Scam alert!
John Rojas at Del Mar College Transportation Training Services reports this scammer activity:
A guy going by the name Wayne Young called my school twice today. He says that he needs 4 drivers today. His company is called USA Car & Truck. He is offering students $500 a week training and then .32 per mile. His phone number is 225-326-0348. We called him back and spooked him. When we asked too many questions he hung up on us.
New scam alert
David Johnson, Director, America’s Driving Force, reports the following scammer information:
“Just got a call from Tony White who said that he was hiring graduates for Prime. The phone number that he gave us is 606-657-9024. I talked to John Hancock at Prime to confirm that this person is in fact a scam.”
Latest scam alert
Dave Pfiffner, Director of the Transportation Institute at Des Moines Area Community College reports that they have had a scammer contact them saying he is a recruiter for Celadon and stating he needed 4 OTR Drivers, training 6 weeks with $450 pay per training week, then .32/mile, out 17 days, home 4 days. The scammer says they will take DUI over 3 years and felony if over 5 years. This guy says his name is David Green out of Atlanta at 404-616-2739. David wants each person to pay him $217 via Western Union to reroute a truck to pick them up to take to orientation. Dave Pfiffner says that this guy is a scammer.
New scam alert!
Jeremy Matthews at Advanced Career Institute reports the following:
“Please be aware we received a fraudulent call this morning from a man claiming to be an employee for Tyson foods. The man claimed to be ‘David Green’ a driver recruiter who needed to fill 10-15 spots in the Fresno area. He provided me with a number from northern Florida (850) 449-8313 and requested that I have our students contact him.
This man knew a lot about truck driving saying that ‘they drove 48 states; drivers would work for 6 weeks with a trainer for 450 a week and then would be paid 32 cents a mile.’ He also stated, ‘The students’ money would double after training.’ He informed me that they hauled 48 foot reefer trailers and had female trainers. He also stated company policy allowed him to hire drivers 3 years after a DUI and 5 years after felony, while misdemeanors are treated on a case-by-case basis.
I called Tyson to verify the information and found not only does he not work there, he is wanted for scamming students at a Dootson trucking school in California.
It is believed that he will coerce information from the students and ask them to send money for application fees, etc.”
Jeremy reports that the scammer contacted their Fresno school as well. In a followup, he states that he also received a call from the president of Tyson Rwho informed him that the scammer has also been working a truck driving school in the Atlanta area using the name “Ronald Henderson.”
Scammer caught — Update!
Tom Maille , Corporate Security Manager at Werner Enterprises has reported to the Commercial Vehicle Training Association that
“Richard Perkins is a 57 year old white male SCAM ARTIST. He is the criminal who scammed many of our student drivers or their families out of money on two different occasions – once in 2002 and again in 2006 after he got out of prison for his 2002 offenses. Perkins uses many aliases. In 2002 and 2006 he was operating out of Las Vegas. He was arrested the other day in Biloxi, Ms., for trying to scam drivers or their families. Drivers or their family members from many different transportation companies have been his victims over the years. Perkins calls the motels and driving schools used by the transportation companies he targets and solicits personal information from students staying in the motel or from the driving schools. His most used scam is that he asks for next of kin info, etc., under the pretense that he cannot read their handwriting on their application. He then contacts a family member of the student driver and tells them their son/daughter needs insurance money, guarantee money, etc., before the student can get on a truck and he will instruct the family member to wire the money to him at whatever town or city he is operating out of. When he calls the motels and the driving schools he passes himself off as calling from Werner or Swift or whatever company whose students are the current target of his scheme. He may ask for info on applicants for a particular company and then he will call their families. He has been very successful in the past in obtaining the information he asks for. Following his arrest in Biloxi, Ms., he was released as the police there did not have a complainant so they had no choice but to release him. Thus he is again free and no doubt plying his trade at this time. According to the Investigator I worked with in Nevada on the previous cases Perkins has a BIG gambling and drinking problem – thus the reason he has turned up in Biloxi – lots of casinos there. Biloxi P.D. Det. Shaw was my recent contact regarding Perkins and the source of the most recent info I have.”
Maille adds that
“Werner is notifying their motels of this and reminding them to NOT give out any information on any of their students, drivers, or employees that are staying at their motels. They should also be told to NOT transfer any calls to any of our students. They should get the name and phone number of the caller and then let our student/driver/employee know of the message. If the caller refuses to give the info it is a pretty sure bet it will be Perkins calling. The motel should also contact the terminal manager at their location to inform the Werner Terminal manager of the call and verify that it is a Werner employee calling. The terminal manager should then notify you and I if the call is believed to be bogus.”
Reminder: schools should be cautious about giving out information on students over the phone. School personnel who receive those types of calls should contact a known carrier company representative to confirm that the request for information is genuine. Terminal Managers are requested to please talk to the Safety group that gives orientation and forewarn them of this scam so they can tell their classes of it.
Scammer caught!
Marl Carey form TDI sent this in from the Sun Herald.Com, which serves the Biloxi-Gulfport and South Mississippi area. Robin Fitzgerald reported:
“A homeless man used a pay phone in Biloxi to contact truck-driving schools in California in a scam to solicit money, police said. Richard Roarke Perkins, 57, posed as a representative of a truck-driving association or trucking company that sought graduates for jobs, said Michael Shaw, Biloxi police investigator. Perkins needed to pay for only one call at a time — he would stand by and wait for return calls, said Shaw. Detectives believe Perkins asked job-seekers to wire him money to pay for someone to pick them up and drive them to South Mississippi. ‘He did receive a couple of hundred dollars from one subject in California,’ Shaw said. Police arrested Perkins on Friday. Detectives said he had several names and phone numbers of students at a California truck-driving school. He is charged with fraud. Justice Court Judge Albert Fountain ordered Perkins held under a $10,000 bond.”
We take full credit for having helped to nab this scammer. OK, we don’t. But we think that everyone’s efforts to get the word out has raised the level of awareness about this scam and has helped make it harder to get away with it.
Scam alert
Jamey Moon, Director of Field Recruiting, Covenant Transport, reports that they received a call from TDI in Forsyth. Someone by the name of Steve Perry from Mobile, Alabama, is calling in saying they are from Covenant Transport Recruiting. Moon says, “We do not have a Steve Perry working for us. The number they gave is 251 479 8954. This is a land line phone but no one answers at this number.” So be alert. This may be a scam.
Scam alert
Ken Whittington from Roadmaster’s Orlando, Florida, school reports that they received a call from a guy named Kenny who that said he was recruiting drivers for Averitt Express. When the number that he left was called it went to a general voice mail box. Averitt was called directly and they are not hiring students and do not have a student program in place.
Scam alert
Harold Fisher, Professional Truck Driving Program Coordinator Luzerne County Community College Division of Training Institutes, External Affairs & Planning Public Safety Training Institute, reports the following scam activity: “We are dealing with another rip off artist. Thursday a guy called and said he was recruiting for National Freight and he needed 4 students for a Monday orientation in Baltimore. His name was Jeff Scott. I notified a few of my students and they called this guy. He gave them the option of a Greyhound ride or if they would put up a deposit one of their drivers would pick the student up at their house. He wanted $500 deposit from one student and $250 from another. Said they would get it back at orientation. I have to get with all the students to get all the facts. Just wanted to let you know so you can alert the other schools.”
Tina Frindt, Driver Training Programs, Northampton Community College, reports getting a call from the same individual. Northampton CC’s placement office determined that the job offer was bogus.
