Nearly $111M in data center freight stolen as thieves test ‘bump and run’ tactic

Watch the full Fraud Watch interview with Scott Cornell on data center cargo theft, bump and run tactics and carrier verification failures.

Thieves target security escorts

“On two of those thefts, they were being escorted by security teams,” Cornell said. “Individuals intentionally crashed into the security escorts on those loads.” He called the method a significant change for cargo theft in the United States. However, Cornell cautioned against treating two events as a nationwide trend.

The tactic required cooperation from each shipment’s driver, Cornell explained. “If the drivers are bad guys, when the escorts get bumped, the drivers then take off,” he said. A legitimate operator would stop, call 911, or reach a safe location. “The drivers weren’t properly vetted,” Cornell added.

Proper verification could have neutralized the entire operation, according to Cornell. Criminals needed compromised operators to continue after each collision. Otherwise, the security distraction would not provide an escape route. “That’s what made the bump-and-run a successful tactic in both cases,” he said.

Cornell offered another recent technology theft involving an obvious carrier mismatch. A Google search showed the company operated as a hotshot auto hauler. That business accepted specialized freight outside its normal region without suitable equipment. “That was just a simple Google search,” Cornell said.

Criminal rings build their own supply chains

Modern theft groups can move stolen products faster than older regional crews, according to Cornell. Those networks use cross-docks, parking-lot transfers and altered shipping documents. “These international crime rings have created their own economy,” he said. Cornell described a separate transportation system operating alongside legitimate logistics businesses.

“People still think some of these thefts are random, and they’re not,” Cornell said. “They have customers, they have a customer base, and they’re filling orders.” Criminals can relabel stolen televisions as general electronics after a cross-dock transfer. Another document change can identify the same shipment as freight of all kinds.

Cornell identified paper bills of lading as a major weakness. Thieves can replace specific product descriptions with broader terms before returning goods to legitimate channels. “I can camouflage it just by falsifying that paperwork,” he said. The altered documents discourage workers from opening sealed trailers and checking their contents.

“Six or seven out of every 10 loads stolen in the U.S. now leave the country,” Cornell estimated. Earlier regional crews often stored products before selling smaller quantities online. International organizations now move entire shipments through established distribution networks. That speed gives investigators far less time to locate missing freight.

Verification starts before pickup

Cornell encouraged transportation companies to use secure digital bills of lading alongside existing paperwork. A protected record could expose altered pallet counts at the receiving dock. “It’s all about time. How quickly can you respond?” he asked. Immediate detection could prevent criminals from moving the remaining merchandise.

Technology alone cannot replace carrier and driver verification, according to Cornell. Companies must compare equipment, operating history, geography and business activity before releasing valuable products. One extra search could reveal an impossible match within minutes. That pause becomes especially important for data-center equipment, metals and other heavily targeted commodities.

Cornell also urged companies to train employees who assign freight or work near loading docks. Senior security leaders cannot review every driver or document. “We’re not trying to make the frontline employee an expert,” he said. “We’re trying to give them a Spidey Sense so they raise their hand.”

Sales teams also need basic cargo-theft awareness, Cornell explained. Pricing decisions must leave enough room for necessary security procedures. Employees should understand the pressure that valuable freight places on carrier-compliance departments. A rushed agreement can create risks long before anyone arrives for pickup.

Why it matters

Data center cargo can carry eight-figure values, making one verification failure financially devastating. Even security escorts may fail when a compromised driver participates in the theft.

CFCO

In my opinion, this case reinforces one Certified Fraud Compliance Officer rule: confidence comes from verification, not assumptions. CFCO teaches teams to verify driver identity, business control, equipment, location and operating history before releasing freight. Those details must support each other rather than create unanswered questions. Security escorts cannot correct a verification failure that began before dispatch.

Click here for more articles on cargo theft and freight fraud by Phil Brink.

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