AI‑driven cargo theft surge hits Canada and US supply chains

The rapid expansion of AI data‑centre infrastructure has sparked a sharp rise in high‑value cargo theft across North America. A U.S. shipping broker reported that nearly a dozen loads of copper and electronics destined for AI data centres disappeared, costing the firm almost US$5 million.

A report from risk‑assessment firm Verisk CargoNet shows that losses from supply‑chain crime in Canada and the United States jumped 60 % last year to about US$725 million, with the average theft value up 36 %. Theft of metals rose 77 %, driven by soaring demand for copper used in AI hardware. The price of a 25‑tonne copper load has risen roughly a third to over US$300,000 in five years.

Criminal groups are now employing artificial intelligence to locate and steal shipments. They use generative AI to create phishing emails, fabricate false shipping documents and images, and conduct “double‑brokering” scams that disguise thieves as legitimate carriers. As Keith Lewis, head of operations at Verisk CargoNet, said, “The bad guys are good at marketing… They know what’s hot and they know what’s selling.” The stolen cargo, rarely seen again by legitimate parties, ultimately ends up on retail shelves, passing the illicit back‑story to consumers.