USA In the past few months, many groups of thieves have infiltrated the systems of transportation companies, attacking vehicles carrying equipment serving AI data centers.

According to NBC News, from June until now, thieves have stolen more than $100 million worth of goods, which were being transported to US data centers. This number is estimated based on information from business leaders, consultants and investigators who assist police agencies in investigating the largest thefts. Targeted goods include equipment that can mine Bitcoin, servers, copper wires, computer memory chips, fiber optic cables and other equipment.

To carry out the plan, first, the thief took over the account of a broker operating on a website specializing in posting information about freight transportation. Next, they post fake shipments to attract real transportation companies. When they responded, the group sent a link containing malware. Just click and the software will be installed, allowing them to take control of the company's account and use it to bid on real goods.

In some cases, legitimate drivers were arranged to transport goods without knowing about the fraud. But in other cases, thieves use fake driver's licenses to help accomplices get recruited. The goods were transferred to the accomplice driver for resale. In a major theft involving a shipment of equipment from California to a data center project in Texas, the thief even caused an accident in the escort vehicle, took over the shipment on the truck, and falsified the location coordinates so that electronic surveillance tools could not trace it.

Trucks can carry just data center equipment or carry a variety of goods. The Cook County Sheriff's Office estimates that two shipments robbed in Illinois in June contained copper coils worth $300,000, along with about a million dollars in modular power supply equipment designed specifically for data centers. However, in a case investigated by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, cooling equipment for the data center was mixed with cosmetics, speakers, printers, shoes, and TVs.

In the past few years, along with the explosive development of AI, data center equipment theft has also increased. According to Fortune, in July 2025, a shipment of chips and Apple products worth $15 million, transported by truck, was stolen in Reno city, Nevada. In June, thieves stole $13 million worth of equipment around the Mojave Desert and components for $10 million worth of server cabinets were on their way to Texas.

According to David Warrick, executive vice president at supply chain risk management firm Overhaul, the logistics industry is finding ways to adapt. Experts seek new software to authenticate driver's licenses and other documents, and use generative AI to track goods. Overhaul has 30 billion data points and is adding 250 million data points to the company's AI system every month, Warrick said. "We have to continue to develop, not just in technology. We understand this is a race," Warrick said.

Thu Thao summary