Customs Payment Fraud Hits Cross-Border Freight: Verify First

What happened

Customs payment fraud is hitting cross-border freight. Thieves pretend to be importers and customs brokers, and they ask for money to be sent to a new bank account.

FreightWaves reported the warning on Sunday, Oct. 4, 2026. It came from Mexican trade officials. Javier Cendejas leads COMCE Noreste, a foreign trade group in northeast Mexico. He said there have been real cases where criminals posed as importers and customs brokers to steer payments to themselves.

Here is how the scam works:

• They build a fake web address that looks almost like the real company's.
• They pretend to be a manager or owner of that company.
• They say the company's bank information has changed.
• They mention real details about the shipment, so the message looks real.

The goal is simple. You pay, but the money goes to the thief and not to your broker.

What it means for owner-operators

Cross-border freight moves fast. A load is waiting at the bridge and everyone wants it cleared now. That rush is exactly what thieves use. Officials said advance payments to customs brokers are especially at risk.

This is not only a Mexico problem. FreightWaves cited IDScan.net numbers for identity fraud in U.S. cargo and logistics. It was 0.53% of transactions in 2023, 1.66% in 2024 and 2.15% in 2025. Criminals also use stolen carrier identities and fake emails to set up pickups that are not real.

If you run loads through Laredo, Nuevo Laredo or any port of entry, you may pay a customs broker, get paid by a shipper, or share your carrier papers by email. Each of those is a door a scammer can try.

What to do next

• Never change where you send money because of one email or text. Call your customs broker at the number you already have, not the number in the message.
• Look closely at the email address. One extra letter or a different ending is a red flag.
• Be extra careful when a message says it is urgent and the bank changed.
• Keep your USDOT, MC and BOC-3 (the form that names your legal agent) up to date, and watch for anyone using your carrier identity.
• Share your authority documents only with companies you have checked.

Want to know how to check a broker before you haul? Read our guide to checking a broker. Questions about your filings for cross-border work? Call TCZ Permits at 956-526-6727.