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Highway thieves are spoofing GPS to steal millions in data center-bound cargo
Ars Technica • • business
Key Points:
- Since June, thieves have stolen over $100 million worth of data center equipment by hacking freight brokers’ accounts, posting fake shipments, and using malicious links to hijack trucking companies' bids.
- The stolen goods include servers, fiber-optic cables, memory chips, copper wires, and bitcoin mining machines, with some shipments containing millions of dollars in specialized data center equipment.
- Criminals have escalated tactics by targeting off-duty police escorts with deliberate hit-and-run attacks to facilitate thefts, sometimes spoofing GPS tracking to evade digital monitoring.
- Experts warn that these thefts are increasingly sophisticated, involving email account infiltration, AI-generated fake driver’s licenses, and pre-arranged overseas buyers, particularly in regions with restricted access to US technology.
- Industry leaders and law enforcement are ramping up security measures, including background checks on drivers and specialized task forces, while lawmakers consider stronger federal responses to combat the growing threat.
