Freight Fraud Is Escalating. Are You Taking It Seriously Yet?

Freight fraud and cargo theft are escalating across the supply chain. With 60 Minutes coverage, rising fraud metrics, and Congressional action, why supply chain leaders must act now.

May 18, 2026

Let’s step away from all the AI talk for a moment to focus on a growing problem in the supply chain and logistics industry: cargo theft.

According to the Freight Fraud Index published recently by Highway, “Fraud volume reached an all-time high in Q1 2026, and every major indicator accelerated year over year. Highway blocked over 527,000 fraudulent email attempts in Q1 — a 49.9% increase from Q1 2025 — and flagged 2,256 identity alerts, up 89.6% from the same period last year. Change-of-ownership reports surged most dramatically, climbing 169.6% as bad actors continued exploiting MC transfers to establish seemingly legitimate authorities. The pattern is consistent across channels: fraud groups are scaling operations across digital and physical vectors simultaneously, and the pace is accelerating.”

“Behind the numbers, a deeper shift is underway,” the report adds. “New federal licensing rules are reshaping the carrier population, and the instability is creating openings that fraudsters are calculated enough to exploit. As produce season drives freight volumes higher through Q2, the commodities fraudsters target most — meat, seafood, and electronics — will move in even greater volume through the corridors where theft activity is already concentrated.”

Freight fraud and cargo theft have become such serious problems that they’ve caught the attention of mainstream media. Last month, for example, the television news program 60 Minutes aired a segment titled, “Risk on the Road.” Here is how the reporter introduced the segment:

Navigating USMCA Uncertainty

By July 1, 2026, the United States, Mexico, and Canada must decide whether to extend the United States-Mexico-Canada (USMCA) trade agreement or allow it to enter a cycle of annual reviews that could ultimately lead to its expiration. While a range of scenarios is possible, the path forward remains uncertain. In this environment, how are supply chain and logistics leaders assessing the risks? How dependent are their operations on USMCA? And how prepared are they to respond if conditions change?

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