Cargo Theft Projected to Surge 22% by End of 2025 as Criminals Exploit VoIP, GPS Jamming, and Synthetic IDs

0
1K


OAK BROOK, Ill. – As the trucking and logistics industry embraces digital tools for speed and efficiency, new security gaps are being exploited by criminals—leading to a surge in cargo theft, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB).

In 2023, cargo crime losses reached over $1 billion for the first time. That figure is expected to rise another 22% by the end of 2025, driven by high-tech tactics including VoIP masking, GPS jamming, synthetic identities, and strategic fraud in the logistics chain.

“From the comfort of their own home or overseas, a criminal can reroute cargo using spoofed contact info, GPS interference, and fake identities,” said Robert Bornstein, NICB Cargo Theft Program Director, via PR Newswire. “These costs are eventually passed to the consumer.”

How Thieves Are Exploiting Technology

  • GPS Jamming: Devices block cargo tracking to move loads undetected

  • VoIP Numbers: Services like TextNow are used to impersonate carriers

  • Synthetic IDs: Fake credentials derived from stolen data are used to bid on loads

  • Phishing: Targeted scams trick supply chain personnel into revealing sensitive information

Emerging Tactics in Cargo Theft

  • Railway Theft: Thieves hit cargo in transit or in rail yards, especially in remote areas

  • Ransom Demands: Thieves posing as legitimate carriers hold shipments for ransom

  • Shortening Loads: Only part of the cargo is stolen, leaving the rest untouched to avoid detection

  • Strategic Cargo Theft: Criminals infiltrate one or more supply chain layers through fraud and deceit

NICB’s Recommended Countermeasures

  • Screen & train all employees

  • Vet transportation partners carefully — no double brokering allowed

  • Use secure in-transit protocols (e.g., no stops in the first 200 miles)

  • Deploy layers of security — lighting, alarms, tracking, surveillance

  • Scrutinize VoIP communications and spoofed emails

  • Regularly audit and test shipment protections

“The only way to stop cargo theft is through deterrence,” NICB states.

If suspicious activity is detected, NICB urges individuals to contact law enforcement, their insurance provider, or the NICB hotline at 1-800-TEL-NICB.


Search
Sponsored
Categories
Read More
Trucking News
Man arrested for ‘throwing everything they could find off the bridge at tractor trailers’
Police in South Carolina have arrested a suspect for throwing objects off of an overpass at...
By MEGA MISTAKES 2022-04-26 01:00:18 0 12K
Trucking News
Truckers to pay up to $36 when NYC congestion toll goes into effect in June
New York City officials have approved a first-of-its kind congestion toll for truckers and...
By MEGA MISTAKES 2024-03-29 15:11:04 0 8K
Trucking News
Motorist too busy messing with trucker to notice cop
Motorist too busy messing with trucker to notice the cop who eventually put a stop to it in this...
By MEGA MISTAKES 2024-04-11 17:11:17 0 7K
Trucking News
Motorist checking on deer damage struck by oncoming big rig
A man was killed early on Friday morning while checking his car for damage after a deer strike,...
By MEGA MISTAKES 2022-06-18 12:15:06 0 13K
Trucking News
Texas to deploy new semi truck inspection checkpoints, ‘strike teams’, following San Antonio tragedy
Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced new border security measures in the wake of a deadly human...
By MEGA MISTAKES 2022-06-30 16:48:13 0 11K
Truck Drivers Life | Social Network for Truck Drivers https://www.truckdrivers.life