At a Glance
- $400,000 in lobster stolen en route to Costco stores
- Theft involved a driver impersonating a legitimate carrier
- Pattern of spoofed emails and burner phones is rising
- Why it matters: The loss forces higher supply-chain costs that consumers will feel.
A $400,000 shipment of lobsters was stolen as it was heading to Costco stores in Illinois and Minnesota, the president of freight broker Rexing Companies said on Tuesday. The incident highlights a growing trend of freight theft that could push up prices for shoppers.
The Heist
The president and CEO of Rexing Companies, Dylan Rexing, said the driver was impersonating a legitimate carrier and stole the seafood. The lobsters were not alive and were on their way to Costco stores in Illinois and Minnesota. The theft was not random, Rexing explained, as it followed a pattern he sees more often, involving spoofed emails and burner phones to hijack high-value freight while in transit.
Dylan Rexing said:
> “This theft wasn’t random.”
Dylan Rexing added:
> “It followed a pattern we’re seeing more and more, where criminals impersonate legitimate carriers using spoofed emails and burner phones to hijack high-value freight while it’s in transit.”
Impact on Supply Chain
For a mid-sized brokerage like Rexing Companies, a $400,000 loss is significant, Rexing added. It forces tough decisions and ultimately drives up costs across the supply chain-costs consumers ultimately end up paying. Rexing called on federal agencies to give brokers modern enforcement tools to keep pace with organized criminal networks, warning that without them thefts will continue to disrupt businesses and impact everyday prices.
Dylan Rexing stated:
> “For a mid-sized brokerage like ours, a $400,000 loss is significant.”
Dylan Rexing added:
> “It forces tough decisions and ultimately drives up costs across the supply chain – costs consumers ultimately end up paying.”
Dylan Rexing said:
> “Brokers are on the front lines of this problem, but we need federal agencies to have modern enforcement tools to keep pace with organized criminal networks.”
Dylan Rexing added:
> “Until that happens, these thefts will continue to disrupt businesses and impact everyday prices.”
In a separate incident, a 1-in-30-million orange lobster was rescued and returned to the sea by animal advocacy group Humane Long Island after being spotted in a seafood market in New York.
Key Takeaways
- The $400,000 lobster theft exposes a rising pattern of freight hijacking.
- The loss drives up supply-chain costs that ultimately hit consumers.
- Stronger federal enforcement tools are needed to curb organized freight theft.
The theft underscores the vulnerability of high-value freight and the need for stronger security measures, as the ripple effects could reach grocery shelves across the country.
