Key facts
- Thieves are spoofing GPS and hacking freight broker accounts to steal data center cargo.
- Over $100 million in data center freight has been stolen since June.
- Targeted equipment includes servers, fiber-optic cables, memory chips, copper wires, and bitcoin mining machines.
- In some cases, security escorts were intentionally targeted in hit-and-run incidents to facilitate theft.
- Stolen equipment is often sold on gray markets to tech firms or to overseas buyers.
Highway thieves are increasingly using sophisticated digital tactics, including GPS spoofing and hacking freight broker accounts, to steal millions of dollars worth of data center equipment. Since June, over $100 million in freight has been stolen, with thieves luring real bids on fake shipments and installing malicious software to take control of trucking company accounts. In some high-profile cases, security escorts have been intentionally targeted in hit-and-run incidents to allow the trailers to be driven away. Stolen goods, such as servers, fiber-optic cables, and bitcoin mining machines, are often sold on gray markets or to overseas buyers. Experts worry that the broad range of stolen items could harm consumers beyond the tech industry.