A suspected scammer is on the loose, targeting prospective Tesla Semi buyers. At least four Southern California-based trucking companies have been contacted by this individual(s) who is attempting to sell non-existent reservations at a premium for the soon-to-be-released truck, Clean Trucking has learned. 

For context, the battery-electric Semi was unveiled in 2017 to much fanfare. Tesla immediately began accepting reservations at $20,000 per vehicle with an initial $5,000 credit card payment required and the $15,000 balance due within 10 business days. The money is refundable until a purchase agreement is signed. The final price per vehicle is between $150,000 and $180,000, depending on battery pack option.

Tesla claims Semi operators will see fuel savings of up to $150,000 within their first three years of ownership. In addition, the Semi has a long list of advanced safety features, up to 500 miles of driving on a single charge, and the ability to recover 70% of range in just 30 minutes when using Tesla’s Supercharger network. 

To date, PepsiCo is the only known fleet to have taken partial delivery of its Semi order. Those trucks are now involved in pilot programs in the Modesto and Sacramento, California areas. Other fleets, however, remain in the dark regarding their delivery dates though Tesla recently said large-scale production will begin in 2025 following completion of a new factory in Nevada.  

[Related: Tesla reveals render of Nevada’s upcoming Semi factory]

Meanwhile, this scammer has identified and contacted fleet operators who have not placed a Semi order but are being targeted for two reasons: they already own and run zero-emission trucks, and some have unused HVIP vouchers as part of California’s Hybrid and Zero-Emission Truck and Bus Voucher Incentive Project to help reduce purchase costs. 

None of these trucking companies fell victim, thanks to their IT departments and marketing teams’ due diligence. However, the scammer’s initial approach is believable and highly scripted, leaving unsuspecting companies vulnerable to fraud. 

One of the four known targeted companies spoke to Clean Trucking about the alleged scam. The rest wish to remain anonymous.

How the scam works 

Mike Bush, head of marketing for Talon Logistics Inc., said he was first contacted by this individual through LinkedIn about two months ago. 

“The guy wrote that he previously wasn’t in the trucking industry but became involved during the pandemic,” Bush explained. “His profile didn’t have a trucking company background but it looked like that of a legitimate person. He had a couple of previous jobs listed and a photo so I gave him my email.” 

The sender’s generic Gmail account raised some suspicion. However, the initial pitch is intriguing for companies, especially those who’ve already incorporated some zero-emissions vehicles into their fleets. Talon’s fleet, which includes five all-electric Nikola class 8 semis, is currently 20% zero-emission. Diversifying the fleet with new Teslas, Bush and his team thought, was possibly worth doing. 

“He wrote [to me] claiming he had reservations on 10 Semis and asked if I wanted to take them off his hands,” Bush continued. “If you’re willing to pay the premium on my reservations, the guy explained, I can start a trucking company and you can run it and staff it under my name. I just want to get out of the reservations.”

Bush confirmed this individual asked for a $5,000 premium per reservation. However, Tesla’s policy states that reservations are non-transferable or assignable to another party, which Bush learned after some quick research.

That was his first red flag. The second was a request to send the money to a non-corporate bank account. The third one was more dramatic.

After discussing the matter internally, Talon concluded the proposal was not worth pursuing for obvious reasons, and Bush stopped replying to this person’s emails.

“That’s when he became super aggressive,” Bush said. “He started writing me asking ‘Why are you ghosting me? I thought we were super close? This is an amazing opportunity.’ “

Bush also requested a copy of the Semi reservations but, “at the end of the day, he never sent me the reservations or any other documentation,” Bush confirmed. “The guy was just trying to hit up a trucking company for money.”

No coincidence

While Talon was debating its next steps, Bush reached out to three other local fleets who also have zero-emission trucks to inquire whether they were also contacted by this individual. Each company confirmed his suspicion.

Not only were they all initially contacted in the same way, though from different email addresses, but also received the same “copy and paste ‘nasty-gram’ guilt trip when they ultimately passed,” Bush said. “It was the same conversation and script, same experience with four different companies. It was no coincidence.”

In the case with fake Tesla Semi reservations, this scammer is clearly aware of California’s zero-emission tax credits for fleets and can easily locate potential victims. They are well-versed in the multitude of issues and difficult decisions facing the trucking industry, and are using this time of uncertainty and transition to attempt to take advantage of people who are trying to responsibly bring their businesses into compliance with new mandates.  

Freight fraud is a nearly $1 billion industry and scammers are constantly trying new deception methods. It’s more important than ever for fleet operators to question business proposals that instinctively come across as unusual or sound too good to be true. Credit to the employees who asked the right questions, but as these scams get more specific and targeted, remaining vigilant and educating employees to do the same, is more important than ever.

Jay Traugott has covered the automotive and transportation sector for over a decade and now serves as Senior Editor for Clean Trucking. He holds a drifting license and has driven on some of the world’s best race tracks, including the Nurburgring and Spa. He lives near Boulder, Colorado, and spends his free time snowboarding, climbing, and hiking. He can be reached at [email protected].