Based on more than one million identity verification transactions across processing, manufacturing, transport and warehousing operations, the report found that fraud attempts rose from 0.53% in 2023 to 1.66% in 2024, and 2.15% in 2025.
Additionally, it recorded the highest quarterly fraud rate on record in the second quarter of 2025, with attempts running 75% above the historical average.
The AI-powered identity verification platform cited economic strain, labour shortages and rising freight volumes as creating ideal conditions for organised cargo crime. Additionally, it points to reliance on temporary workers leaving gaps in vetting and oversight and inventory movement through an already stretched network multiplying soft targets that exist across warehouses and transit routes.
“With cargo theft still lacking a unified federal tracking framework, fragmented reporting and limited centralized oversight allow sophisticated crime rings to operate across state lines with minimal visibility and reduced risk of detection,” IDScan said.
