INTRODUCTION
Cargo theft no longer involves running over trucks in parking lots at night. In the year 2026, criminals are using digital “Tradecraft” and stolen identities to simply walk into a warehouse and haul off hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of cargo. Our analysis of logistics databases reveals dark numbers of so-called “fictitious pickups”.
Tactic: Classic identity theft
Criminals find legitimate carriers with good ratings on Load Boards. They then create fake e-mail addresses that are almost identical to the original ones (eg @gmail.com instead of the company domain) and forge driver’s licenses.
Operation: A fraudulent dispatcher contracts cargo with a broker using a stolen MC number. It sends a driver with false documentation to the loading point. Warehouse workers check papers that look authentic and load the goods. The truck leaves and never reaches its destination.
Our OSINT defense: By comparing IP addresses from which e-mails come and checking metadata in PDF documents (insurance, receipts), we have identified more than 40 fake dispatch centers operating outside the US. The only defense for warehouses is biometric verification of the driver and a direct phone call to the official number registered in the FMCSA database, not the one from the e-mail.