Now, a new type of organized crime is making waves in the retail sector: thieves targeting cargo shipments and misdirecting massive deliveries away from their intended recipients. , this type of theft in the US and Canada has surged 57% this quarter compared to last year's statistics, with perpetrators walking away with over $44 million in stolen shipments in Q2 alone.
The thieves use stolen credentials from logistics brokers or falsified pickup addresses to pull off elaborate schemes, sometimes getting away with entire loaded trailers — and"criminal enforcement for such cases is complex and rare, which has emboldened organized groups," per CargoNet. The average shipment value per incident also increased, by nearly $100,000, to an average loss of $260,703 per theft as cargo thieves have focused on high-value shipments.