The International Union of Marine Insurance (IUMI) and TAPA EMEA have issued a joint warning about an alarming rise in cargo theft and freight fraud across global supply chains. Incidents are increasing throughout Europe, the Americas and Africa, with particularly violent attacks reported in Latin America and several African countries.

According to TAPA’s intelligence system, nearly 160,000 cargo-related crimes were recorded across 129 countries between 2022 and 2024, with total losses estimated in the billions of euros. In the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region alone, TAPA’s database recorded more than 108,000 supply chain thefts across over 110 countries during the past two years.

Cargo Crime Is Becoming Increasingly Digital and Sophisticated

Thorsten Neumann, President & CEO of TAPA EMEA, warned that cargo crime is rapidly shifting from “the asphalt to cyberspace.”

“While conventional thefts from trucks and warehouses remain common, cargo crime is evolving. We are seeing criminals use digital tools to conceal their true identities, establish shell companies, and clone legitimate businesses using stolen credentials. Fake email addresses, look-alike domains, and fraudulent insurance certificates are becoming increasingly common. Our concern is that artificial intelligence will accelerate these activities, making fraud easier to scale and significantly increasing financial losses.”

Joint Recommendations for the Industry

IUMI and TAPA EMEA are calling for immediate action from supply chain stakeholders and public authorities. Their recommendations include:

• Conduct continuous due diligence on transport operators and drivers.
• Verify contacts, documentation, and insurance credentials.
• Comply with recognised security and operational standards.
• Increase vigilance for unusual or suspicious behaviour.
• Expand the use of secure facilities and risk-based route planning.

IUMI Secretary General Lars Lange also stressed the importance of freight platforms implementing robust identity verification and fraud detection procedures to help prevent increasingly sophisticated criminal activity.

Read the full article: https://tapaemea.org/news/iumi-and-tapa-emea-warn-of-escalating-cargo-theft-and-freight-fraud/