Cargo thieves target big tech in $1.3M data center heist
Cargo thieves have a new target – data centers.
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Cargo thieves have a new target – data centers.
- Thieves stole two trailers carrying more than $1.3 million in data center equipment and copper wire.
- Authorities found the stolen trucks in Illinois and linked the thefts to cases in Alabama, Florida and Wisconsin.
- Investigators are trying to identify who delivered the stolen trucks and whether others helped coordinate the thefts.
- The cases show organized cargo thieves are increasingly targeting copper and computing hardware as AI demand raises their value.
Key Takeaways by nexos.ai, reviewed by Cybernews staff.
The AI boom is lining more than Big Tech’s pockets as thieves have started hijacking vehicles carrying precious data center materials.
Two trailers carrying over $1.3 million dollars worth of infrastructure equipment and copper wire were found abandoned at a truck yard in Chicago, Illinois.
A trailer containing $300,000 worth of copper wire was reported stolen in the state of Alabama.
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Using the truck's in-built tracking device, authorities later located the truck in the Chicago suburbs.
Upon arrival at the truck yard, authorities found the trailer with the copper wire still inside, while also observing that the truck actually had Indiana license plates.
Authorities tied these license plates to ones that had reportedly been stolen in Wisconsin.
It seems that the thieves stole the truck in Alabama, stole the Indiana license plates in Wisconsin to obscure the truck’s origin, and then traveled down to Illinois, where the truck was found.
When speaking to investigators, the truck yard owner said that the same person who delivered the stolen truck had also dropped off another truck just a week before, according to the Cook County Sheriff’s Office.
The owner of the truck that was stolen a week prior told authorities that they’d reported the trailer as stolen in Jacksonville, Florida.
This truck contained around $1 million dollars worth of infrastructure equipment, which was set to be delivered to unnamed data centers in the country.
The whereabouts of the trailer containing data center infrastructure equipment was not disclosed by authorities.
Investigators are still figuring out who delivered the stolen trucks to the truck yard in Illinois and are working to identify others involved in the thefts.
Cargo theft is no longer a game of dumb luck, as cargo thieves are becoming increasingly more organized and are hitting supply chains where it hurts.
Criminals want computing hardware and copper
During a six-month investigation by CNBC, journalists discovered that criminal networks are exploiting technology used to boost supply chain efficiency to steal valuables.
Thieves are exploiting the system using a technique called “strategic theft,” in which criminals deceive legitimate truck shippers, brokers, or carriers into handing over cargo or legitimate payments to criminals and not the intended companies, according to CNBC.
Cargo thieves stole roughly $725 million in North America last year, with criminals focusing on stealing metals, mainly copper, and enterprise computing hardware, according to Verisk Cargonet, an organization focused on cargo theft prevention.
Criminal groups are increasingly focused on stealing enterprise computing hardware and cryptocurrency mining equipment, which are the most valuable targets for organized crime gangs.
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