In today’s digital world, phishing scams have become one of the most common and dangerous forms of cyberattacks. FMCSA has reported that phishing scams are one of the most prevalent threats to trucking companies in 2025, and as technology improves and AI becomes more commonplace, this threat only has room to grow. The Sentinel team has seen the devastating impact of phishing scams on clients that have fallen victim to these attacks, and we are passionate about educating our clients about preventing these attacks from happening.
Step one is understanding what phishing is so you can be on the lookout for these scams. The good news is that phishing attacks are easy to avoid if you know what to look for, so let’s dive in.
What Is Phishing?
Phishing is a type of cyberattack where hackers pose as trustworthy sources to trick you into revealing sensitive information, like passwords, credit card numbers, or Social Security numbers. These scams often come in the form of emails, texts, or fake websites that look nearly identical to legitimate ones. Once you click a malicious link or hand over your information, attackers can steal your identity, access your accounts, or compromise your business systems.
How Phishing Can Harm You and Your Business
Phishing scams can have devastating consequences. On a personal level, they can lead to identity theft, drained bank accounts, or stolen logins to key services like email or online shopping platforms. For businesses, phishing can open the door to data breaches, ransomware attacks, or wire fraud, leading to financial losses, legal consequences, and loss of client trust. A single compromised employee account can put an entire organization at risk. That may sound dramatic, but as insurance experts, we have unfortunately seen firsthand how detrimental this type of cyber attack can be on clients who have fallen victim to them.
Common Examples of Phishing Scams
Phishing scams come in many forms, but here are a few of the most common:
- Fake Emails from Trusted Brands: You receive an email that looks like it’s from Amazon, PayPal, or your bank, saying there’s a problem with your account and asking you to log in via a provided link. The link takes you to a fake site designed to steal your credentials.
- Urgent Requests from a “Boss” or “Coworker”: These emails may appear to come from someone in your company, asking for urgent help transferring money or sending sensitive data. A closer look usually reveals a spoofed email address.
- Text Message Scams (Smishing): These phishing attempts come via SMS, often claiming to be from a delivery service or financial institution. The goal is the same: get you to click a malicious link or provide private info.
- Fake Tech Support Calls: You get a call from someone pretending to be from Microsoft, Apple, or the GeekSquad saying your device is compromised. They may ask you to install software or give them remote access.
How to Spot and Avoid Phishing
Here are a few tips to help protect yourself:
- Check the sender: Phishing emails often come from strange or slightly altered email addresses.
- Don’t click unknown links: Hover over links before clicking to see where they really lead.
- Watch for poor grammar and urgency: Many phishing attempts include typos, awkward phrasing, or pressure to act immediately.
- Use two-factor authentication (2FA): Even if your password is stolen, 2FA can stop an attacker from accessing your account.
- Report suspicious messages: Most companies have dedicated channels for reporting phishing attempts.
Phishing scams can come from anywhere and may or may not be directly related to your business or transportation, so it’s important to be vigilant with any online interaction. However, there are several transportation-specific scams that are unique to our industry. It’s a good idea to keep an eye on the FMCSA’s fraud alerts page, and if you get any communication asking for personal or business details, double-check with FMCSA that you are not potential prey for a known phishing scam. Here is the link to FMCSA’s fraud alerts page, which includes instructions for reporting fraud: https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/registration/fraud-alerts
Phishing scams aren’t going away anytime soon, but being aware and cautious can keep your data and your business safe. Stay skeptical, stay informed, and when in doubt, don’t click. If you have any doubt that a link, email, text, or call is legitimate, the best thing to do is contact the official customer service email or phone number for the business or person in question, and confirm that the communication you received is trustworthy. It is always best to pause and take the extra step to confirm that a request is real before potentially compromising your data.
With AI becoming commonplace, these scams are only becoming more convincing. Staying vigilant and making sure you and your team are educated and updated on what to look out for are key in preventing this type of cyber attack. At Sentinel, we use KnowBe4’s suite of tools to prevent phishing attacks and we strongly recommend that our clients utilize their products as well. If you want to find out how susceptible your team is to phishing attacks, click the link below for access to a free phishing test provided to our clients and followers by KnowBe4. You can customize the test for your business and learn where you may be vulnerable to cyber attacks.
KnowBe4 & Sentinel Phishing Security Test
Prevention is key when it comes to cyberattacks (read more about the importance of prevention here), but cyber insurance helps add another layer of protection to your business. If you’d like to learn more about how to protect yourself and your business from cyber attacks or get a quote for cyber insurance, give the Sentinel team a call at (470) 524-4884.
