Freight fraud · 7 min read
Jakub Wujec
How to detect a fake carrier before you release pickup details
A fake carrier in freight often shows up as a mismatch: active company register but no transport licence, VAT name that does not match the invoice, insurance on another entity, or email from a domain that does not fit the register. Pull those sources on booking day. One red flag is a risk signal that requires review, not automatic proof of fraud.
Based on Certica checks
Across supported registers, checks that most often need human review before load assignment are email and domain mismatches, domains registered recently compared with company age, management or ownership changes in the company register, and transport licence scope that does not fit the booked lane.
These are risk signals, not proof of fraud. They explain why a clean company register line alone is not carrier verification.
Key checks before you assign the load
- Fresh company register extract dated to today, not a PDF from last month.
- Transport licence status in the national register for your lane and goods type.
- VIES and local VAT lists: active status and name match to the invoice entity.
- Insurance bureau or plate check when you have registration numbers.
- Email and domain compared with register address and company age.
- Call-back to a number from the register if contact details changed recently.
What not to rely on
Fake carrier cases succeed when dispatch trusts one good-looking document instead of live register data.
- A scanned licence PDF attached to an email without a KREPTD or ARR check.
- A friendly phone call with no callback to the registered office number.
- A low rate that makes manual verification feel optional.
- Last month’s KRS extract reused for a new booking contact.
- A carrier website that looks professional but does not match WHOIS or register address.
- Verbal assurance that insurance is "sorted" without bureau or plate confirmation.
Why this risk signal matters and what it does not prove
Company existence alone is not carrier verification. A company can exist and still need deeper checks before you assign a load.
Detecting a fake carrier is about stacking independent sources. Registers can be clean while contact channels are wrong.
- A mismatch across register, licence, and contact may indicate impersonation or double brokering.
- A single warning on domain age may be innocent for a young legitimate startup.
- Blocked licence or inactive company data from a government source is stronger than an email gut feeling.
- Your goal is to stop pickup details going to the wrong party, not to win an argument in the inbox.
Red flags and common mistakes
Register active but licence missing or suspended
May indicate a shell company or a haulier that lost rights. Common in fake transport company cases. Pause before cargo details go out.
Invoice VAT on a dissolved or unrelated entity
Risk signal for identity reuse. Match VIES name to KRS, CEIDG, ANAF, or ARES before you pay.
Freemail or brand-new domain on a large fleet story
May indicate impersonation or a broker posing as an asset carrier. Compare domain age with company age.
Insurance policy holder differs from contract party
Could be a rebrand, but often needs a current policy tied to the carrier you book with.
Pressure to skip checks because the lane is urgent
Friday evening urgency is when teams approve on email alone. Treat speed as a risk signal, not a reason to skip register checks.
How Certica highlights fake-carrier risk signals
Certica automatically collects and analyses carrier verification data, detects risk signals, and supports your decision before a load is assigned.
Certica fetches supported registers in parallel and highlights risk signals across company, licence, VAT, insurance, and contact data.
- Inactive company, missing licence, VAT mismatch, and insurance gaps surface in one report.
- Contact and domain checks run in the same pass as register data.
- PDF audit trail when compliance asks what you verified.
Official sources
- EU VIES VAT validation (European Commission)
- Polish National Court Register (KRS)
- Polish CEIDG sole trader register
- Polish KREPTD transport register (GITD)
- Polish court filings register (RAR)
- Romanian ANAF VAT payer register
- Romanian ONRC insolvency bulletin (BPI)
- Romanian road transport licences (ARR)
- Romanian RCA insurance database (AIDA)
- Czech ARES business register
- Bulgarian Road Transport Agency (RTA)
- Latvian open government data portal
FAQ
What is the fastest way to detect a fake carrier?
Same-day register, licence, VAT, and contact pass. If two independent sources disagree, stop before pickup address and cargo value go out.
Does an active KRS or ANAF result mean the carrier is real?
It means the entity exists today. You still need licence, VAT, insurance, and contact checks. Company existence alone is not carrier verification.
How many red flags should trigger a hard stop?
Treat serious register or licence mismatches as a hard pause. Contact or domain warnings need human review with a register callback.
Can Certica prove a carrier is fake?
No. Certica returns source-based risk signals. A missing or inactive licence in an official register is strong evidence. A fresh domain is a weaker signal that still requires review.
Related pages
Certica
Run the same checks automatically
Certica collects registry, VAT, licence, insurance, and domain data in one run, applies risk rules, and saves a PDF audit trail before you assign the load.
No card required. Results usually return in seconds to a few minutes, depending on registry availability.