According to the association TAPA and the International Union for Maritime Insurance (IUMI), theft of goods is increasing at an alarming rate worldwide. Europe is not spared, but for now it has escaped the most serious cases where theft is accompanied by violent actions.
Between 2022 and 2024, almost 160,000 crimes related to cargo theft were recorded in 129 countries, with a total estimated loss of several billion euros. These figures are confirmed by the German Association of Insurers (GDV), which estimates that 88 cases of wrong-way carriers were registered in the first seven months of 2025, the same number as in the entire previous year. In Germany, an entire truck disappears every three days, resulting in a loss of approximately 18 million euros by the end of July 2025.
These ‘fake carriers’ are an increasingly common form of cargo theft in Europe. TAPA and IUMI warn that freight crime is becoming increasingly sophisticated and increasingly uses digital technologies. Thorsten Neumann, Managing Director of TAPA EMEA, explains: “While conventional thefts from trucks and warehouses are still common, freight crime is evolving. We see criminals using digital tools to hide their true identities, set up sham companies and clone legitimate businesses using stolen credentials. Spoofed email addresses, similar domain names and fake insurance certificates are becoming increasingly common. We fear that artificial intelligence will accelerate these activities, facilitating large-scale deception and significantly reducing losses. increase.
In response to these increasing risks, IUMI and TAPA EMEA are calling on supply chain players and government authorities to take urgent action, but are also publishing joint advice for carriers, logistics providers and insurers to strengthen their resilience against physical and digital threats. Recommendations include ongoing monitoring of carriers and drivers, checking contact details, documents and insurance references, adhering to recognized safety and operating standards, increased vigilance against deviant behavior and greater use of secure facilities and route planning.
Lars Lange, Secretary General of the IUMI, also points out the responsibility of freight exchange platforms to ensure that no fake carriers can operate on these platforms. One of the solutions he recommends is the strict implementation of multi-factor authentication of companies operating on the platforms.
