IUMI and TAPA EMEA warn of escalating cargo theft, freight fraud and violent attacks

According to TAPA’s intelligence system, nearly 160,000 cargo-related crimes were recorded across 129 countries between 2022 and 2024, with total losses estimated to reach several billions of Euros (see joint statement referenced below for more detail).

While traditional threats such as hijackings and theft remain a problem, both organisations warn that cargo crime is rapidly becoming more sophisticated and digitally enabled.

Thorsten Neumann, President & CEO of TAPA EMEA explained: “Although conventional theft from trucks and warehouses is still prevalent, cargo crime is evolving. We are seeing criminals using digital tools to conceal their true identities, the creation of shell companies and legitimate firms being cloned using stolen credentials. Forged email addresses, look-alike domains and fake insurance certificates are increasingly common. Our concern is that artificial intelligence will accelerate these activities, making deception easier to scale and significantly driving up losses.”

In response to these growing risks, IUMI and TAPA EMEA are calling for urgent action by supply chain stakeholders and government authorities. The organizations have jointly published advice for shippers, logistics providers, and insurers aimed at strengthening resilience against both physical and digital threats. Recommendations include continuous vetting of carriers and drivers; verification of contacts, documentation, and insurance credentials; adherence to recognized security and operational standards; increased vigilance for abnormal behaviour; and greater use of secure facilities and route planning.

Lars Lange, Secretary General of IUMI, added: “A crucial element in the fight against cargo fraud is freight exchange platforms. They have a key responsibility to ensure no bogus carriers can operate on these platforms. IUMI and TAPA EMEA encourage these platforms to implement robust identity verification and fraud detection protocols, including multifactor authentication. Their support and cooperation is essential to closing loopholes which are increasingly being exploited by fake carriers.”

IUMI and TAPA EMEA issue joint warning on fake carrier fraud and cargo crime risks

The International Union of Marine Insurance (IUMI) and the Transported Asset Protection Association (TAPA) EMEA call for urgent action by supply chain stakeholders and government authorities to combat the growing risk of fake carriers and other cargo crime tactics. Fraudulent pickups have particularly impacted supply chains in Europe, North and South America, with violent modus operandi being most prevalent in Africa and Latin America. While it is true that the growth of these types of events in Europe and the US has been alarmingly fast, it is equally true that (albeit more gradually) the same trend is emerging across all regions around the world.

Recent data highlights an alarming trend for cargo theft generally and freight fraud in particular. The losses indicate that cargo crime has moved “from the asphalt to cyberspace”, with criminals increasingly using digital tools to conceal their true identities and shift from physical theft and violent hijackings to sophisticated online fraud:

• Cargo theft losses in North America reached USD 455 million in 2024, with over 3,600 reported incidents. The average loss per incident exceeds USD 202,000.[1]
• TAPA EMEA’s cargo crime intelligence database recorded over 108,000 thefts from supply chains in more than 110 countries in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa in the last two years. The 5% of these crimes reporting their loss value were worth a combined €1 billion+, the equivalent of >€1.3m every 24 hours. Major incidents (€100K+) averaged €878,525.[2]
• Strategic cargo theft and organized crime account for around 18% of all thefts in the US as criminals adopt increasingly sophisticated tactics to attack supply chains.[3]
• "Phantom freight" frauds have surged in Mexico. According to the American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI), this kind of strategic theft skyrocketed (up to 15 times) since 2022. Notorious cases involved stealing high-value shipments (e.g., truckloads of tequila) through fraud, with no violence used.[4]
• The German Insurance Association (GDV) reports a dramatic increase: In the first seven months of 2025 alone, 88 cases of so‑called phantom carriers were registered, as many as in the entire previous year. 

In Germany, a full truckload disappears every three days, resulting in losses of around €18 million by the end of July 2025.[5]

Criminal groups increasingly focus on the fraudulent theft of truck consignments by securing regular freight contracts under false or misused identities. They set up shell companies, hijack or impersonate legitimate firms, or operate under stolen credentials so that, at the point of collection, everything appears to be a normal transport. Once they have taken charge of the goods with the intent to steal them, the contract is not fulfilled. The consignment does not reach its intended recipient and is instead resold elsewhere. By this stage, the ostensible business partner has vanished without a trace.

The method is low risk and high reward because the cargo is handed over voluntarily. Offenders rely on simple but effective digital deception: spoofed or forged email addresses, look‑alike domains, fake insurance certificates, and counterfeit driver credentials. Access to freight exchanges or company systems is increasingly obtained by compromising user accounts through phishing, password reuse, or other credential attacks. While AI is not central to current cases, emerging AI tools can streamline document forgery, identity obfuscation, and credential harvesting, making these schemes easier to scale and potentially driving larger losses over time.

It is not only one‑off contracts that are affected. Repeat bookings and framework agreements are also targeted, which increases the potential severity of losses.

To counter these worrying global developments, IUMI and TAPA EMEA urge all stakeholders to take joint action as follows:

• To counter fraud, shippers are advised to vet all carriers and drivers continuously. Use only agreed, secure communication channels with continuously vetted contacts. Verify email addresses and phone numbers before each transport order, even in ongoing relationships. Minor changes to contact details are a common fraud tactic.
• Cross-check driver credentials and freight forwarder details.
• Adhere strictly to existing standards such as TAPA’s Cyber Security Standard and Freight Broker Security Requirements (FBSR) Standard and GDV’s loss prevention guidelines on fraudulent theft of truck consignments (phantom carriers).
• Abnormal behaviours such as unusual routing, last-minute changes, or mismatched contact details are clear warning signs and should trigger precautionary measures.

• Secure parking and route planning remain critical to prevent in-transit theft.
• Use technology to increase the real-time GPS monitoring of fleets.

A crucial element in the fight against cargo fraud is freight exchange platforms. They have a key responsibility to ensure no bogus carriers can operate on the platforms. IUMI and TAPA EMEA encourage these platforms to implement robust identity verification and fraud detection protocols, including multifactor authentication. Their support and cooperation is essential to closing loopholes which are increasingly being exploited by fake carriers.

While fraudulent carriers dominate headlines in Europe and North America, violent theft remains rampant in other regions. Hijackings still account for many cargo theft incidents, with hotspots in Brazil, South Africa, and parts of Europe. At the same time, TAPA EMEA and IUMI aim to raise awareness and mobilize stakeholders and authorities, alerting all players in the global supply chains to this growing challenge. Even if it is not a pressing issue today in some places, it will be one soon, given the rapid impact of AI technologies when they are being misused.

IUMI and TAPA EMEA reaffirm their individual commitments to supporting insurers, shippers, logistics providers, and freight exchange platforms. Through advocacy, cooperation, and best practices, we can work to strengthen supply chain resilience against evolving threats.