Why Most Cargo Theft Cases Never Get Solved and How to Change That

As soon as a shipment is stolen, everything changes. 

Delivery windows and deadlines don’t matter. Your focus is on figuring out how this happened and who did it.

Unfortunately, lack of evidence and law enforcement staffing shortages make it hard to catch the fraudster.

A 2024 national survey found that agencies are staffed at only 91% of their approved positions, with 70% reporting recruitment is more difficult than it was five years ago.

Without a solid starting point, stolen cargo cases get filed away because investigators don’t have the bandwidth or evidence to pursue the case.

The Numbers That Should Concern Every Shipping and Logistics Company

In 2024, there were 3,625 reported cargo theft incidents across the United States and Canada. The average value per theft rose to $202,364, up from $187,895 in 2023. And those numbers are climbing. 

What Makes the Difference in an Investigation

Those numbers show that cargo thefts are on the rise, and solved cases are rare.

The reason comes back to evidence. Shipping and logistics companies can protect themselves with ID verification technology that gives law enforcement what they need to actually investigate.

Instead of relying on visual checks, verification systems like IDentiFake authenticate the physical ID in real-time.

IDentiFake checks the holograms, microprint, and infrared and ultraviolet elements, as well as data consistency points on the ID in seconds.

Each scan becomes documented proof of who was granted access to freight and when that authorization occurred. There is also an optional webcam feature. 

This webcam captures an image of the person presenting the driver’s license for facial recognition against the presented driver’s license. 

This not only enhances the ID verification process, it’s also a major deterrent to attempting fraud in the first place as the person’s photo would be part of the scan record and readily available to investigators. 

That verified ID gives investigators the legal data they need like name, date of birth, address, to query license databases across states, uncover linked IDs, and compare photos against DMV records and surveillance footage. 

It connects a suspect to a vehicle, places them at the scene, and helps build probable cause for warrants. 

Without it, you have an unknown suspect case. With it, law enforcement can actually pursue leads.

Contact us today to learn more about how IDentiFake can protect your cargo.