How are thieves pulling off these data center equipment heists?

Investigators say they use phishing scams to take over freight brokers' and carriers' accounts and check shipping schedules, and sometimes pose as legitimate haulers to win high-value loads.

Where does the stolen equipment end up?

Experts say AI-related gear rarely sells on online marketplaces; buyers are sometimes lined up before the theft, and many items are sold outside the US, often in China.

What do experts say could stop the thefts?

Scott Cornell, president of the US chapter of the Transportation Asset Protection Association, says carriers could prevent them by thoroughly screening drivers' identities.

AI Business & IndustryGIGAZINE AI1h agoOct 27, 2026, 16:00 JST

Data center gear theft losses top $100 million as Verisk CargoNet flags AI-era heists

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3 Key Points

What happened
Investigators say thefts of data center gear have clustered since June 2026, with the two most extreme cases among them; Verisk CargoNet pegs losses at over $100 million.
Why it matters
Thieves are using phishing to hijack freight brokers' and carriers' accounts and posing as legitimate haulers to win high-value loads, investigators say.

WHO IT HITSLogistics and freight-security teams moving high-value hardware, plus data center operators and their suppliers, face a theft risk that investigators say has shifted toward organized, cyber-assisted targeting since June 2026.

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Context & Analysis

The thefts are a side effect of a scramble for AI hardware. Investigators say the value of equipment used to build data centers has jumped over the past two years, and that pricey gear — GPUs, servers, fiber optic cable, copper wire and bitcoin mining machines — now moves frequently, giving thieves more targets.

According to Verisk CargoNet, the pattern is shifting. Cargo theft incidents fell 26% year-on-year in Q2 2026, yet losses rose by more than $100 million and reached more than double the prior-year level. That gap suggests thieves are going after fewer, richer loads rather than more of them.

Keith Lewis, Verisk CargoNet's operations chief, put it in blunt terms: stealing this gear is like stealing gold bars, and easier than robbing a bank. Some experts think basic steps can help, with Scott Cornell of the Transportation Asset Protection Association's US chapter pointing to thorough driver background checks by carriers.

FAQ

How are thieves pulling off these data center equipment heists?: Investigators say they use phishing scams to take over freight brokers' and carriers' accounts and check shipping schedules, and sometimes pose as legitimate haulers to win high-value loads.
Where does the stolen equipment end up?: Experts say AI-related gear rarely sells on online marketplaces; buyers are sometimes lined up before the theft, and many items are sold outside the US, often in China.
What do experts say could stop the thefts?: Scott Cornell, president of the US chapter of the Transportation Asset Protection Association, says carriers could prevent them by thoroughly screening drivers' identities.

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