An increased risk of cargo theft occurs during the Thanksgiving holiday period, according to CargoNet analysis.

The Verisk business and cargo theft prevention and recovery firm’s analysis of supply chain intelligence revealed 174 significant theft events during a critical six-day window from the Tuesday before Thanksgiving through the following Monday over the past five years.

Semi-tractors, trailers and cargo were targeted through various schemes, including identity fraud.

The Monday following Thanksgiving was identified as the peak day for criminal activity, coinciding with a surge in identity fraud complaints, the data showed.

Thieves appear to exploit both the extended holiday closure and decreased vigilance following the holiday weekend, CargoNet said.

Geographic analysis shows clear concentrations of criminal activity in certain regions of the country.

San Bernardino County and Los Angeles County in California, along with Cook County in Illinois, are the primary hotspots during this holiday period.

Analysis of targeted commodities reveals consistent patterns in thief preferences, according to CargoNet.

Criminals focused primarily on freight all-kinds (FAK) shipments, hard liquor and vehicle accessories, particularly tires and motor oil.

Historically, thieves select these targets based on established relationships with black market buyers, indicating sophisticated criminal networks operating within the supply chain.

There have been 450 fictitious pickup attempts in 2024, signaling last year’s record levels of cargo theft may be broken yet again.

The trend indicates a significant shift toward more sophisticated fraud schemes, analysis showed.

The Thanksgiving holiday period creates vulnerable conditions throughout the supply chain, with extended facility closures combined with reduced staff disrupting normal operating patterns.

CargoNet strongly recommends transportation companies strengthen their security measures throughout the holiday period.

Companies should implement additional verification steps for all shipments, particularly those moving through identified high-risk areas, the cargo theft prevention and recovery firm said.

Additionally, frequently targeted commodities and identity fraud schemes require hypervigilence.