WASHINGTON, D.C — If you get a fax or email from a U.S. Department of Transport (DOT) senior procurement officer named Julie Weynel, please call the cops.

Because Julie Weynel is not a senior procurement officer and neither does she work for the DOT. In fact she probably doesn’t even exist.

This week, the U.S. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) issued a warning to carriers that some fraudsters are seeking financial information from truckers via emails or faxes from somebody using the name Julie Weynel, and although the letters appear legit, they’re anything but.

The letters usually arrive by fax, the FMCSA stated.

“Motor carrier officials and their employees–as well as government and law enforcement officials–should be vigilant and on the lookout for fraudulent attempts to gather financial (or other personal identifiable Information–PII) data by fax, e-mail, or telephone. Requestors should be verified and authenticated before such data is provided, according to FMCSA officials.”

But you already knew that.

Additional information is available on the USDOT Office of Inspector General Website: http://www.oig.dot.gov/fraud-alert