AI Contributes to Surge in Cargo Theft and Freight Fraud

container yard — AI maybe one contributor to the surge in cargo theft as criminals go digital

The International Union of Marine Insurance (IUMI) is raising the alarm over a significant surge in cargo theft and freight fraud across the global supply chains. Criminals, it says, are increasingly deploying digital tools, including artificial intelligence (AI), to perpetrate illegal schemes.

The lobby group IUMI, together with the Transported Asset Protection Association (TAPA) EMEA, highlights that cargo theft has evolved to become a sophisticated criminal enterprise that is causing losses running into billions. Critically, the losses indicate that cargo crime has moved from “the asphalt to cyberspace,” meaning that criminals are using digital tools to conceal their true identities and shift from physical theft and violent hijackings to online fraud.

In essence, criminals are increasingly deploying tools like AI to accelerate their activities, a development that is making deception easier to scale and significantly driving up losses for shippers, logistics providers, and insurers. A surge in cargo theft has been particularly prevalent in Europe, and North and South America, with violent modus operandi being most rampant in Africa and Latin America.

Data from TAPA’s intelligence system shows that over the period between 2022 and 2024, nearly 160,000 cargo-related crimes were recorded across 129 countries, causing massive losses. In North America alone, cargo theft losses are said to have reached $455 million in 2024, with over 3,600 reported incidents. The average loss per incident exceeds $202,000. The extent of the problem is also evident in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, where TAPA recorded over 108,000 thefts in more than 110 countries over the last two years.

Though traditional threats such as hijackings and theft remain a problem, cargo theft is evolving and has become more sophisticated and digitally enabled. According to the two organizations, criminal groups are increasingly focusing on the fraudulent theft of truck consignments by securing regular freight contracts under false or misused identities. The criminals set up shell companies, hijack or impersonate legitimate firms, or operate under stolen credentials in order to carry out the thefts.

It is emerging that criminals are relying on simple but effective digital deception, like spoofed or forged email addresses, look?alike domains, fake insurance certificates, and counterfeit driver credentials, to steal cargo. Other strategies include compromising user accounts through phishing, password reuse, or other credential attacks.

IUMI and TAPA contend that although the use of AI has not gained roots, it is bound to accelerate the problem of cargo theft, considering that emerging AI tools could be used by criminals to streamline document forgery, identity obfuscation, and credential harvesting.

“Although conventional theft from trucks and warehouses is still prevalent, cargo crime is evolving. Our concern is that artificial intelligence will accelerate these activities, making deception easier to scale and significantly driving up losses,” said Thorsten Neumann, TAPA EMEA President & CEO.

Though cargo theft is quickly moving online, hijackings also remain a major concern. They still account for many cargo theft incidents, with Brazil, South Africa, and parts of Europe being the notable hotspots.