Organized groups are targeting shipments of equipment bound for data centers, stealing servers, copper cable and memory chips. Known technology cargo thefts since June 3 have resulted in an estimated $110.6 million in losses, according to figures cited by FreightWaves from Scott Cornell, president of TAPA Americas and an executive at SPG Cargo & Logistics.

The thefts are often planned before a truck leaves its warehouse, rather than carried out as opportunistic highway robberies. In Illinois, the Cook County sheriff recovered two trailers carrying $1.3 million worth of copper and data center equipment. Individual losses reported by Cornell ranged from $2 million to $38 million.

The number of incidents has fallen even as the value of stolen cargo has risen. Verisk CargoNet recorded 677 incidents in the second quarter of 2026, 26% fewer than a year earlier. Over the same comparison, losses from stolen cargo increased from $135.7 million to $304.6 million. The agency’s vice president of operations, Keith Lewis, cautioned that fewer incidents do not necessarily mean the risk of theft is lower.

The FBI warned in April that criminals were impersonating transport companies through fraudulent emails and links to gain access to logistics systems. Using compromised accounts, they can post fake offers on freight marketplaces, accept legitimate shipments under a company’s name and change the delivery destination. The goods may then be handed to drivers who appear legitimate but are connected to the theft group.

Security concerns have also arisen around high-value convoys. In June, a car deliberately rammed an escort vehicle accompanying a shipment carrying $13 million in hardware, according to NBC News; the truck escaped. Weeks later, another convoy in Texas was targeted while transporting cargo valued at $10 million.

Rising memory prices have added to the appeal of the stolen goods. TrendForce estimated that server DDR5 memory prices rose 93% to 98% in the first quarter of 2026 and forecast a further 10% to 15% increase in conventional DRAM prices in the fourth quarter. Cornell said memory is easy to conceal, including through falsified paperwork.

Cornell estimated that six or seven out of every ten stolen loads in the United States are taken abroad and installed in data centers outside the country. He said the stolen goods have established buyers and are being used to fulfill orders.

Sources: Xataka.