Fraudulent pickups of freight are increasing in California and other states as thieves pose as carriers, according to FreightWatch International.
Incidents of freight thefts have been reported in April in Florida, Ohio, Indiana, New York and New Jersey, FreightWatch said. About 20 incidents were reported in April, compared with 24 for all of 2010, said FreightWatch’s Dan Burges.
Thieves are going through online broker sites to find freight, impersonate legitimate carriers and pick up loads at shipper locations, FreightWatch said.
The organization is warning shippers to ensure they are only releasing freight to known and verified transportation companies.