Cargo Thefts Continue to Climb in U.S. as Fraud Tactics Evolve

Cargo thefts rose by 16% year-over-year in the U.S. in 2025, and are projected to bump up by another 13% in 2026, as would-be thieves have taken advantage of advances in technology to exploit weak spots in freight networks across the country. 

“Cargo theft is no longer opportunistic,” said supply chain risk management company Overhaul in a report released on February 17. “It’s organized, strategic, and accelerating.”

The most common method of cargo theft was pilferage at 43%, where thieves typically steal small amounts of items from trailers to avoid detection. That was followed by full truckload thefts at 27%, facility theft at 16%, and deceptive pickups at 10%. The year was also marked by a series of high profile incidents, including the theft of more than $325,000 worth of frozen snow crab from a Worcester, Massachusetts warehouse in July. In charging documents released in February 2026, authorities revealed that the suspect arrested in connection to the snow crab heist was also believed to have stolen more than $433,000 worth of cologne in New York, and $4,000 worth of blueberries in New Jersey.

Overhaul warned that deceptive pickups have also become the fastest growing method of cargo theft, surging by 91% between 2022 and 2023, 57% from 2023 to 2024, and 35% from 2024 to 2025. That’s due to changes in technology that have allowed thieves to use gaps in systems to impersonate legitimate carriers and brokers, through a combined use of hacked emails, stolen load IDs, phishing calls and forged or edited documents. Complex fraud networks have also started using artificial intelligence for voice cloning, email spoofing and fake identities. Groups have even been able to set up fake companies, acquire new motor carrier numbers, and embed operators inside of legitimate carriers to gather intelligence.

California was the state most affected by cargo thefts last year in total, accounting for 38% of recorded incidents for the year, followed by Texas at 20%, Tennessee at 11%, and Illinois at 7%. Electronics were the most common items targeted by cargo thieves, making up 22% of total thefts nationwide, while food and drinks came in at 15% and home and garden products made up 11%.