INTRODUCTION
Think your cargo is safe because you see a green dot on the map? Think again. A new investigation by Freight Watchdog reveals the widespread abuse of ELD (Electronic Logging Device) devices through software spoofing of GPS locations, known as “GPS Ghosting.”
Tactics: Virtual trucks on real roads
Double Brokering fraudsters faced a problem: modern brokers require live cargo tracking via applications (Macropoint, Trucker Tools). To get around this, criminals are now using location spoofing software on mobile devices.
How it works: The fraudster takes the load, resells it to someone else, then runs software on his phone in the office (often thousands of kilometers away) that sends fake GPS pings to the broker, simulating the truck’s movement along the route. The broker looks at the map and thinks everything is fine, while the real driver (who has no idea who he’s actually driving for) delivers the goods.
OSINT Clues: Analyzing the data, we noticed anomalies – trucks moving at the perfect speed without stopping at traffic lights or gas stations, or GPS signals coming from buildings instead of highways. Cargo visibility software without deep API integration is no longer a sufficient firewall today.