Cargo theft activity is climbing in 2025, and the Thanksgiving holiday remains a prime target window for thieves, according to a new alert from Verisk CargoNet. Food and beverage loads face the highest risk during the holiday period, with California and Texas continuing as the nation’s most active hotspots.
Holiday risk profile and hotspots
Verisk CargoNet’s 2024 Thanksgiving-period analysis recorded the highest number of incidents involving food and beverage shipments (31 incidents), followed by household products (24 incidents) and electronics (19 incidents). The trend also extends to vehicles and accessories and other consumer goods moving into retail channels ahead of the holiday weekend.
Geographically, activity remained concentrated in key freight corridors. California accounted for 35% of incidents and Texas for 22%, driven by high volumes of electronics, food-and-beverage, home goods, and auto parts moving through these states.
Evolving theft tactics: deceptive pickups and cyber-enabled fraud
Thieves are increasingly moving beyond simple pilferage to more sophisticated schemes. CargoNet and industry security partners report rapid growth in deceptive (fraudulent) pickups, where criminals impersonate carriers or drivers to unlawfully obtain loads.
In several recent cases, criminals used stolen or compromised credentials to access company systems and communications, then impersonated employees to book or intercept freight. Overhaul’s law enforcement partners recovered more than $670,000 in stolen electronics shipments in the past month alone, all tied to fraudulent pickups.
Industry guidance and enforcement activity
Security guidance highlighted by cargo risk specialists for the holiday period includes the use of high-security locks, strategic parking, staying close to the trailer during stops, and maintaining awareness of higher-risk commodities and corridors.
Separately, prosecutors on Long Island recently announced the takedown of a “sophisticated criminal organization” alleged to have targeted FedEx parcels containing electronics and cellphones, citing a two-year investigation that uncovered 48 alleged pattern acts of theft. While distinct from long-haul cargo theft, the case underscores the broader surge in organized theft against high-value goods in the holiday season.
Outlook
With theft volumes rising in 2025 and the Thanksgiving window historically attracting organized groups, CargoNet is urging heightened vigilance across food-and-beverage, electronics, and other in-demand categories—particularly in California and Texas and along major retail replenishment lanes.