FBI: Cyber-enabled cargo theft losses spike

Intensified cyber-enabled cargo heists have prompted nearly $725 million in losses in the U.S. and Canada last year, which is a 60% increase from 2024, reports The Record, a news site by cybersecurity firm Recorded Future.

Meanwhile, the average value of cargo stolen from the transportation and logistics sector rose by 36% between 2024 and 2025, according to an FBI advisory. Attacks involved the spoofing of brokers in phishing emails aimed at obtaining broker systems access, with threat actors using breached accounts to post more fake loads to lure legitimate carriers. Hackers then provide carriers with an illicit broker agreement, which includes a payload that compromises their systems.

Aside from conducting double-brokering to steal the cargo, attackers have also attempted to modify legitimate carriers' contact data and insurance details to allow loads that had been rejected, said the FBI, which noted that carriers usually become aware of the breach after being contacted by brokers regarding the missing cargo.