According to a recent study, the number of cargo thefts has decreased significantly, while the value of stolen goods has risen dramatically over the past year.
A study conducted by Verisk CargoNet compared cargo thefts in the second quarter of 2026 with those in the previous quarter and with those in the second quarter of 2025. In the most recent quarter, 677 incidents of cargo theft were reported, totaling $304.6 million. These statistics show that cargo thefts in the second quarter of 2026 decreased by 14% compared to the first quarter and by 26% compared to the second quarter of 2025, one year ago. However, the losses of $304.6 million are more than double the economic losses from the second quarter of 2025, which totaled $135.7 million.
According to the study, the average value of cargo thefts in which the value of the goods was reported reached $564,009, which is due to a small number of high-value cargo thefts that skewed that average. The study also shows that the decline in the number of cargo thefts was likely due to a reduction in online scams in which fraudulent carriers posed as legitimate companies on the Internet, booked shipments, and then never delivered them. There were also fewer cases of cargo theft by organized crime involving loaded and parked tractor-trailers.
Thefts of food and beverages declined overall, while those of metals and high-end technology increased. Attacks on corporate email accounts by organized criminal groups were also a common method in many online cargo thefts during the second quarter.
“A lower volume of incidents should not be confused with lower risk,” said Keith Lewis, vice president of operations at Verisk CargoNet. “The groups causing the greatest losses are not necessarily seeking to steal more cargo, but rather to identify the right shipment. Their focus on metals and business technology demonstrates the extent to which organized cargo theft is now driven by value, demand, and resale opportunities.”
