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Iowa truckers who were victims of ‘government imposter scam’ eligible for refunds

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The Iowa Attorney General says that a Texas trucking company has agreed to refund money to truck drivers who were allegedly duped into paying to file a form that can be filed for free.

In an April 7 news release from Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller says that Compliance Processing Group, LLC, of Frisco, Texas, has agreed to refund money collected from Iowa truckers as part of an alleged “government imposter scam.”

The company reportedly charged truck drivers $149 to file free forms.

According to Miller’s Office, the company “sent past-due notices to Iowa truck drivers under the name FMCSA Compliance Processing Group. The letters warned that the truckers must “contact us immediately” or risk fines of up to $10,000 a day and be put out of service, per the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.”

Miller says that the company’s mailer “deceptively implies it is sent by a government agency and that failure to respond could be punished with civil penalties.” The mailer does state that FMCSA Compliance Processing Group was not a government agency in small print near the bottom.

“The success of the Respondent’s business model depends upon exploitation of truck drivers who are attempting to be responsible, but who do not know submitting a required biennial report to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is easy and free,” according to an Assurance of Voluntary Compliance filed by Miller’s office. 

Compliance Processing Group has agreed to provide a full refund to Iowa consumers who request one in the next year. The company has also agreed to refrain from soliciting, offering, or selling services related to government compliance to Iowans.

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