As U.S. merchants grapple with clogged ports as well a shortage of truck drivers, warehouse workers and front-line employees, the supply-chain snarls are leading to another concern as the pandemic drags on: cargo theft.
“The more that the supply chain in general is backed up, the more cargo you’re going to have sitting. And that creates a bigger opportunity for thefts,” Scott Cornell, a crime and theft specialist at insurance giant Travelers, told CBS MoneyWatch.
This year, the prime targets of thieves are electronics amid the chip shortage and refrigerated food, according to figures from CargoNet, a division of Verisk Analytics, which tracks thefts along the supply chain for companies, agencies and others.
Through September, California topped the list of states with the most reported cargo thefts, followed by Texas and Florida. On the West Coast, a computer chip shortage means the value of some electronic goods that are available, like game consoles, is rising, experts said. On the East Coast, refrigerated trucks used to transport food have been a favorite target of thieves this year.
To read the full story on CBS News, please click here.