US AI data center equipment thefts top $100 million since June
Cargo thieves are hijacking trailers loaded with GPUs and servers, sometimes after staging crashes to stop escort vehicles, a report says.
Cargo thefts targeting high-value AI data center equipment in the United States have caused confirmed losses of more than 100 million dollars since June, according to a report cited by GIGAZINE.
In one case, a trailer carrying 13 million dollars worth of server equipment was stolen whole while its escort vehicle was stopped after being hit by another car. A second trailer hauling 10 million dollars worth of server rack components was taken in a similar manner, with the GPS tracking coordinates later tampered with.
The thieves operate through freight channels as well as on the road. They use phishing to take over freight broker or carrier accounts and learn shipping schedules, or pose as legitimate firms to win transport contracts, according to the report.
Targets include GPUs, servers, memory, fiber optic cables, copper wire and bitcoin mining machines. Stolen equipment is sold through separate channels rather than ordinary online marketplaces, sometimes reaching overseas markets including China.
Losses rise even as incident counts fall
Keith Lewis, operations head at cargo theft prevention and data company Verisk CargoNet, said stealing the equipment is easier than robbing a bank, according to the report.
In the second quarter of this year, total cargo thefts in the US and Canada came to 677 cases, down 26% year on year, while estimated losses rose from 135.7 million dollars to 304.6 million dollars.
Quick answers
How much has been lost to AI data center equipment theft in the US?
Confirmed losses from the thefts have exceeded 100 million dollars since June, according to a report cited by GIGAZINE.
What equipment are cargo thieves targeting?
GPUs, servers, memory, fiber optic cables, copper wire and bitcoin mining machines, according to the report.
How do thieves find out when shipments are moving?
They use phishing to take over freight broker or carrier accounts to learn shipping schedules, or pose as legitimate firms to win transport contracts.