TRANSPORTATION SECTOR

Verify the Next Carrier, Freight Broker, or Worker You Hire

Cyber thieves are supercharging cargo theft, turning traditional freight hijackings into sophisticated, high-stakes operations. In 2025, estimated cargo theft losses across the U.S. and Canada surged 60%.

The broader U.S. supply chain losses from cargo theft are estimated at up to $35 billion annually, with the average stolen load value jumping 36% to $273,990 per confirmed incident. 

At Verify MC, we tackled the hardest-hit sectors, Freight Brokers and Carriers first, with non-intrusive tools that help streamline and organize your digital world while stopping cyber thieves before they get a foot in the door.

Carrier Identity Theft

   Cybercriminals steal the identity of a legitimate trucking company, often by obtaining its USDOT number, MC authority, and contact details from public databases or by hacking.

  After gaining the assignment, they switch roles to act as an unauthorized broker, reassigning the load to a legitimate but unwitting carrier at a lower rate. The scammers pocket the payment difference, often disappearing without compensating the actual hauler, or use the process to facilitate cargo theft by directing the load to fraudulent destinations. 

Fuel Advance Scam

   Fraudsters who pretend to be a trucking company or a driver with a valid CDL use impersonated credentials to book a load with a broker.

  Shortly after, they request an advance payment for fuel or other expenses via quick-pay methods like Comchecks or wire transfers. Once the money is received, the scammers vanish without picking up the load, forcing the broker to rebook with a real carrier at additional cost while absorbing the lost advance.

Double Brokering Fraud

   In this scam, perpetrators pose as a licensed carrier using fake or stolen identities to secure a freight load from a broker via load boards or direct outreach.

   After gaining the assignment, they switch roles to act as an unauthorized broker, reassigning the load to a legitimate but unwitting carrier at a lower rate. The scammers pocket the payment difference, often disappearing without compensating the actual hauler, or use the process to facilitate cargo theft by directing the load to fraudulent destinations. 

Fictitious Pickup and Cargo Theft

Scammers create phantom trucking companies with forged documents, fake websites, and spoofed phone numbers to appear legitimate and secure loads from brokers. 

They then dispatch impostor drivers—who may have obtained or faked a CDL—to pick up the cargo under the guise of a real haul. After loading, the thieves divert the truck to a hidden location, steal the goods, and abandon the shipment, resulting in total loss for the broker and shipper.