Direct Thefts Lead as Main Fraud Vector

Highway’s Q3 2025 Freight Fraud Index reveals a continued rise in identity-driven attacks targeting brokers and carrier networks.

“Bad actors are evolving, but the most effective defenses remain rooted in the fundamentals,” says Michael Grace, VP of customer risk management at Highway. “Teams that consistently verify identities, confirm rate confirmations through secure channels, and maintain disciplined verification practices experience dramatically fewer incidents. Discipline beats complexity every time.”

Key takeaways:

·        Direct thefts have now surpassed compromised emails and ownership-change abuse as the leading fraud vector, with rogue carriers driving a significant share of losses. Despite total theft volumes trending slightly downward from Q2, the frequency and sophistication of fraud attempts continued to climb.

·        Phone-based impersonation is rising as well, with spoofed or Voice over Internet Protocol (VolP) numbers increasingly used to solicit load details or submit fraudulent contact changes that enable account takeover.

·        Fraud operations continue to originate globally. The top countries associated with Q3 attempts were India, Serbia, and Pakistan. Domestically, California, Texas, and Florida, saw the highest concentration of activity, with growing pressure in Indianapolis-area distribution hubs.