Cargo thieves stole almost US$111.88 million in goods across the United States and Canada in the third quarter of 2025, with the New York metropolitan area emerging as the top hotspot for organized crime groups.
CargoNet recorded 772 cargo thefts during the quarter, up 1% from the same period last year and down 10% from Q2 2025. While overall theft volumes remained relatively steady, the financial toll soared to unprecedented levels as thieves zeroed in on high-value freight such as enterprise computer hardware, cryptocurrency mining equipment, and copper.
In New Jersey, theft incidents spiked 110% compared to a year earlier, while neighboring Pennsylvania saw a 33% rise. Historically high-theft states California and Texas posted smaller year-over-year increases of 11% and 12% respectively.
“The NYC metro area is emerging as both a primary location for theft activity and a destination for stolen goods,” said Keith Lewis, vice president of operations at CargoNet. “Organized crime groups are exploiting the region’s dense logistics network and proximity to major consumer markets.”
CargoNet said organized crime networks are refining their methods to outsmart evolving anti-fraud tools. The average stolen shipment value doubled year over year to US$336,787 from US$168,448 in Q3 2024 — a clear sign, the report said, that criminals are becoming more selective in targeting premium freight.
Simple and complex tactics
Some groups have abandoned elaborate scams like proof-of-delivery fraud and authority takeovers, instead reverting to simpler tactics such as stealing loaded trailers left unattended in areas like Southern California, the Bay Area, Phoenix, and Lake Tahoe.
Others have taken the opposite approach, using social engineering to hijack shipments that have already been legitimately assigned to carriers. By impersonating brokers or dispatchers and using real company names and contact details, thieves are able to redirect shipments to fraudulent addresses without raising suspicion.
Impersonation
CargoNet warned that most anti-fraud systems only monitor the shipment tender phase, leaving a critical blind spot once the load is in transit. It expects these impersonation and data-harvesting tactics to grow in sophistication through the final quarter of 2025 as criminals increasingly exploit public load boards to research high-value shipments.
Commodity theft patterns also shifted sharply. Meat and seafood thefts jumped 189%, from 18 incidents to 52, while copper thefts surged nearly fivefold, from 10 to 47. Food and beverage loads led all categories with 170 thefts, followed by household goods (92) and metals (65).
“As criminal tactics evolve, so must our collective defense,” Lewis said. “The supply chain security challenge requires industry-wide collaboration, enhanced information sharing, and a commitment to staying ahead of emerging threats.”
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