Organized retail theft and cargo theft rings are a big threat and they’re nothing to joke about (though we probably will make a joke or six by the end of this post). Employee impersonation is a major and effective method for thieves, but with new methods, they’re getting smarter and harder to deter. Instead of focusing on stealing the cargo, they may just steal the entire truck; subsequently, they’d sell the goods, ditch the truck and do it all over again. Some people don’t realize how many people they can and do hurt; they’re focused on the money of it all.
Organized retail theft could happen in the store or upon delivery of goods. For example, the person actually stealing is “the runner”. The runner pairs up with “the distraction” to run into the store, grab the goods, and leave. Then the “getaway driver” picks them up at the door and they go off on their merry way, hurting others in their path. Another way this can happen is a group of people will pull a hit-and-run style heist on a parked vehicle. Cargo theft rings are very similar in that they’re a collection of rogues plotting major heists on cargo carriers of all types.
Well that stinks…..
What can you do about it?
The only thing you can. No, we don’t mean go scuba diving in Pinot Noir; we mean you can do your best to prevent it from happening in the first place and you can insure yourself in the event of an unavoidable hold-up.
Here are a few ways to protect you from the bad guys:
- Never leave a truck unattended at a rest stop. Think of that Joe Diffie Song, Third Rock from the Sun “He leaves the motor running he’ll only be a minute / His car drives away with teenagers in it”
- Pay special attention to anyone picking up the cargo. Thoroughly check IDs, and be sure to make small talk with that person, asking him or her specific questions like how long he or she has been with a company or why the person got into his or her job.
- If you don’t feel right about something, go with your gut. Research the company. Some theft rings will pose as a legit carrier company, and reviews are a great place to look for anything suspicious.
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