Organized cargo theft groups are a major threat in the United States because they utilize low-risk tactics to obtain “the most desirable and easily liquidated” products, according to a new report from supply chain risk assessment firm Sensitech.
The United States is considered a high risk for supply chain operations due to the prevalence of organized groups of cargo thieves, their sophistication, and the overall volume and value of cargo thefts perpetrated, according to an annual report by Sensitech Inc., the risk assessment company formerly known as Freightwatch International.
Organized cargo theft groups are a major threat in the United States because they utilize low-risk tactics to obtain “the most desirable and easily liquidated” products, according to the report, which was released Oct. 13.
“Unless more states pass cargo theft laws that add specific punishments for cargo theft offenses, cargo theft will likely rise as time passes and experience is gained,” the report says, in part.
The SCIC – SensiGuard Supply Chain Intelligence Center – said it expects that as their methods improve, fictitious pickup scams will continue to rise in popularity, spreading from the West Coast to other areas with cargo criminals looking to increase their profits while reducing their chances of being caught.
Fictitious pickups are a trick where cargo thieves pose as legitimate carriers in order to obtain shipments under the guise of a legitimate business transaction. When done properly, they’re a much lower risk than the traditional truck theft, since criminals in essence set an appointment to steal the cargo, and the victim isn’t aware of the theft until the shipment fails to arrive at its intended destination.
Theft of full truckloads are the primary method of theft in the United States, according to the report, because organized cargo thieves in the country are very risk averse, and few U.S. states have enacted specific penalties for cargo theft, resulting many regions charging thieves with grand theft auto when busted.
Theft of full truckloads of cargo accounts for about three quarters of all theft in the United States, other methods of theft are gaining in popularity, according to the SCIC, specifically pilferage of electronics and pharmaceuticals, where smaller volumes of product theft can still be profitable.
As for stolen U.S. product types, food and drinks are typically the most stolen, since they’re abundant, non-serialized and permanently in demand, followed by electronics, with those thefts concentrated in California, Sensitech said.
The greater Los Angeles area is the largest and most severe hotspot in the U.S. for cargo theft, largely due to the massive amounts of cargo flowing through the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach providing many opportunities for theft, the report found.
“Organized cargo thieves have set up in the area and tend to perform some of the more innovative methods of fictitious pickup, such as carrier identity theft or carrier identity fabrication; thieves tend to target expensive products like electronics or clothing and shoes at a higher rate than elsewhere in the country,” the report states.
Atlanta was found to be a hotspot for cargo theft activity in southeast U.S., likely due to its confluence of several major interstate highways. Although the city has seen a drop off in recent months, it remains one of the most dangerous places in the country for unsecured cargo, according to the SCIC.
“There seems to be no particular product or M.O. preference in the Atlanta area, but overall volumes and average values are higher here than in most places in the country,” the report explains.
The greater Chicago area is also considered a hotspot for cargo crime, recording higher than normal rates of pilferage, with a focus on alcohol. Other hotspots included were Southern Florida, the NYC to Philadelphia corridor, the Dallas-Ft. Worth metroplex, Houston and Memphis.
Sensitech: Risk of cargo theft high across U.S.
