Congress Mandates Stricter DOT Oversight to Eliminate Rogue Moving Companies and Chameleon Carriers

8,769 moving-related complaints were filed with FMCSA in 2023 — a 15% increase over 2022

Hostage-load complaints hit 932 through July 25, 2021 — already exceeding all 899 filed in all of 2020 and more than double the 409 filed in 2018

A 2019 federal administrative law judge ruling found FMCSA lacks authority to directly assess civil penalties for household goods fraud — requiring cases to be referred to the Justice Department for federal court action instead

GAO identified 1,136 new motor carrier applicants with 'chameleon' attributes in 2010 — up from 759 in 2005 — and found they were 3 times more likely to be involved in severe crashes than other new applicants

The average financial loss per moving scam complaint was $836 in 2023 — 7% higher than the $784 average in 2022 — while FMCSA separately cites an average loss of roughly $16,200 for formally filed moving fraud cases