America’s truckers are working overtime these days.
With the strain COVID-19 is putting on our nation’s supply lines, truck drivers from coast to coast are putting in long hours and spending weeks away from home.
That makes them and their businesses perfect targets for business identity thieves.
As we’ve discussed a lot on this blog, cybercriminals love to hijack businesses run by distracted owners. Distracted owners won’t notice that someone has logged onto the secretary of state’s website and removed them as their business’s listed principal or changed its mailing address. Distracted owners often don’t pay attention when mail arrives from a strange lender.
Distracted business owners give identity thieves time to make mischief. And every trucker is distracted right now.
I’d like to do something to help.
I know truckers
Long before I started Company Alarm – before I ever was a victim of business identity theft – I became the owner of the San Paso Truck Stop, just north of Paso Robles in the Southern California wine country. For more than a decade, I’ve operated the truck stop and gotten to know the issues truckers face.
For example, when the coronavirus first hit, I knew truckers would be for some long hours, which is why we started offering free breakfasts at the truck stop.
I also know a lot of truckers own businesses, either because they drive as independents or because they have a side business. Either way, from my experience as a business identity theft victim and founder of Company Alarm, I know they’re among the most vulnerable business owners right now.
Cybercriminals need time to exploit a business. Nothing gives them more time than a distracted business owner who is spending weeks away from their home (or a computer), working long hours on the road.
Why trucker's businesses are vulnerable
As we have discussed at length on this blog, online business portals established by the states have made it incredibly easy for cybercriminals to hijack companies.
But illicitly taking over a business is always just the first step of their schemes. After they’ve taken control of a business, they reach out to lenders and retailers to make unauthorized purchases and secure credit for unauthorized loans.
A business run by a trucker is like catnip to an identity thief because truckers don’t have time right now to think about their business registrations. They have much more pressing things on their mind, like getting the next load to its destination.
Cybercriminals are savvy. They are adept at doing online research. They background their targets thoroughly before acting.
I guarantee you, identity thieves are actively looking for businesses run by truckers. They’re the perfect prey.
Company Alarm can help
In this time of crisis, truckers shouldn’t have to worry about business identity theft. That’s why Company Alarm, in conjunction with Melton Technologies, Inc., a developer of fleet dispatch technology, is offering business identity theft monitoring services to all American truckers for free for one year.
All truckers need to do is visit our sign-up page and enter the promo code “TRUCKER.” It doesn’t matter if your business is directly related to trucking or not. If you’re a trucker, you’re eligible to receive our services free for one year.
It’s just Company Alarm’s way of saying thank you for all you do for this great country.
Company Alarm is dedicated to helping business owners protect what they have worked so hard to build. Our monitoring software is designed to prevent cybercriminals from exploiting loopholes to hijack your company and assets. To sign up for this low-cost, value-added protection, click here.
