Data center equipment thefts
Cargo thefts targeting expensive equipment used to build AI data centers have been occurring repeatedly in the United States. Confirmed related losses alone have exceeded $100 million, approximately 132.44 billion won, since June. The article attributes the targeting of equipment in transit to the rising value of servers, semiconductors and other equipment as AI investment expands.
According to a report by Japanese outlet Gigazine on October 27, local time, trailers carrying millions of dollars' worth of data center equipment have recently been disappearing repeatedly during transport in the United States. In one prominent case, an entire trailer carrying $13 million worth of server equipment, approximately 17.2198 billion won, was stolen. The trailer disappeared while its escort vehicle was stopped after being rear-ended by another vehicle.
A trailer carrying $10 million worth of server rack components, approximately 13.246 billion won, was also stolen using a similar method. Again, the escort vehicle stopped following a collision, and even the GPS coordinates used to track the cargo were manipulated, making its whereabouts difficult to establish.
Theft methods and resale channels
The methods used are also becoming more sophisticated. Criminals are reportedly using phishing to take over cargo brokers' or carriers' accounts to obtain transport schedules, or posing as legitimate operators to take on high-value shipments. Principal targets include GPUs, servers, memory, fiber-optic cables, copper wire and bitcoin mining machines.
Keith Lewis, head of operations at Verisk CargoNet, compared these thefts to stealing pure gold bars, saying, “Stealing equipment is much easier than robbing a bank.”
The stolen equipment is understood to be traded through separate distribution networks rather than ordinary online marketplaces. According to the account, some shipments already have buyers before the theft takes place, and some are sent to overseas markets, including China.
Rising losses and identity checks
The scale of losses is also increasing. According to Verisk CargoNet, total cargo theft incidents in the United States and Canada numbered 677 in the second quarter of this year, down 26% from the same period a year earlier. Estimated losses, however, more than doubled from $135.7 million, approximately 179.74822 billion won, to $304.6 million, approximately 403.47316 billion won.
Experts stressed the need to thoroughly verify the identities of carriers and drivers to prevent organized theft.
Original Korean article: digitaltoday.co.kr
English brief by Korea Wind Intelligence, koreawindintel.com
