Supply Chain Sabotage The Metaverse Isn't The Only Place Getting Hacked

Move Fast and Steal Things Cargo Heists Surge

Alright folks let's talk about something that's not exactly 'moving fast and breaking things,' but more like 'moving fast and *stealing* things.' CNBC's investigation reveals that cargo theft in America is skyrocketing. We're talking about organized crime syndicates hitting trucks warehouses and even train cars like they're playing a real life version of Grand Theft Auto. And honestly as someone who's had to deal with my fair share of shall we say *data breaches* this hits close to home. It's not just about the money (though let's be real $455 million is a *lot* of avocado toast) it's about the principle! You don't just go around messing with the supply chain. That's like messing with the very fabric of reality… or at least the fabric of Amazon Prime delivery.

The Zuck Doctrine Low Risk High Reward for Thieves

According to Verisk CargoNet we're seeing a 26% increase in cargo theft. Keith Lewis calls it 'low risk and a very high reward,' with an 'almost 100% return on investment.' I mean if I could get those kinds of returns on my metaverse investments… Anyway these guys are exploiting the very tech we built to *improve* efficiency. They're using doctored invoices and impersonating legit companies to divert cargo. It's like hacking the Matrix only instead of Neo you get a truckload of stolen sneakers. Not cool guys. Not cool.

Strategic Theft A New Level of Shady

And get this – there's a new 'sophisticated and insidious' form of theft called 'strategic theft.' Criminals are tricking shippers brokers and carriers into handing over cargo or payments. Think of it as phishing but instead of your grandma's bank account they're after a truckload of... whatever people are stealing these days. Apparently strategic theft is only getting bigger having started out at 8% of all cargo theft in 2020 and rising to about a third by the end of 2024. It is a problem that needs solving!

License to Steal Blame The Metaverse

Jerry Jacobs from Prosponsive Logistics says these criminals 'literally have a license to steal' because they're hiding in foreign countries with just a cell phone and a computer. It's like they're running their operations out of the metaverse... wait is *that* where all the stolen cargo is going? Maybe I should invest in virtual warehouses. Okay I am obviously kidding. But seriously Jacobs also mentions his sales reps have a '33% chance' of talking to a bad guy. That's like trying to navigate the dating scene in Silicon Valley! You never know who's trying to steal your uh intellectual property.

Retailers Under Siege Meta and Nike Mum

Even Meta got hit! Remember that $500,000 theft of Ray Ban and Oculus glasses? Yeah we're not commenting (wink wink). And Nike's staying silent too. Birger Buesching from Philips says they're seeing an uptick in commercial shipments going out to their customers. Ellen Kapiloff from Lacoste is worried about inventory challenges: 'If you're a consumer and you wanted this shirt and we only made 100 of them and 50 of them were stolen we are strategically going to place the other 50 in a different location as well as a different channel,' she said. The whole thing's turning into a real world version of 'Squid Game,' only instead of dying you just can't find the right size shirt. And also no one is dying...or are they...

Fighting Back Can We Hack The Hackers

So what are we doing about it? Companies are investing in tech and personnel to combat theft. Zak Bowyer from TQL says they've invested $4 million. DAT Freight and Analytics is employing a team to spot illegal activity. Highway a security company says they blocked over 914,000 fraud attempts last year. It's a constant battle. The House are trying to pass a Bill that would coordinate centers tasked to fight cargo theft. So is the Senate! Hopefully more will be done in order to secure the shipping industries across America. It's like a never ending hackathon except instead of building the next big thing we're trying to stop the bad guys from stealing the *current* big thing. Maybe we should get the Winklevoss twins on this. They seem to know a thing or two about getting ripped off.