Shippingtelegraph: Warning on fake carrier fraud and cargo crime risks: IUMI, TAPA EMEA

Cargo theft and freight fraud across global supply chains has surged dramatically with incidents escalating across Europe, the Americas and Africa. Latin America and several African nations are experiencing particularly severe and violent attacks, according to the International Union of Marine Insurance (IUMI) and the Transported Asset Protection Association (TAPA) EMEA.

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.

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.

Cargo theft losses in North America reached $455m in 2024, with over 3,600 reported incidents. The average loss per incident exceeds $202,000.

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.  

Meanwhile, strategic cargo theft and organised crime account for around 18% of all thefts in the US as criminals adopt increasingly sophisticated tactics to attack supply chains.

In Germany, a full truckload disappears every three days, resulting in losses of around €18m by the end of July 2025, according to IUMI and TAPA, citing data from the German Insurance Association (GDV) report.

IUMI and TAPA EMEA also cited data from the American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI), according to which “phantom freight” frauds have also surged in Mexico. 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.

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.

In response to these growing risks, IUMI and TAPA EMEA 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 recognised security and operational standards; increased vigilance for abnormal behaviour; and greater use of secure facilities and route planning.

“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,” Thorsten Neumann, president and CEO of TAPA EMEA explained.