- Recent discoveries include $300ki copper and $1mi data center equipment
- Demand (and prices) for copper remains high
- Manufacturers and shippers are fighting back
Criminals are increasingly turning their attention to data centers as AI-related construction projects accelerate across the US, with organized crime groups targeting expensive hardware and building materials, experts have warned.
According to Business Insidera trailer containing about $300,000 worth of copper wire spool was recovered in one incident alone, but in a related incident just a week before, another trailer containing about $1 million worth of data center equipment was also recovered.
In this specific case, the copper shipment was stolen in Alabama after leaving Florida, but was recovered by the Cook County Sheriff’s Office hundreds of miles away in Illinois.
Criminals are increasingly targeting data center hardware and materials
With hyperscalers at times announcing multi-million and multi-billion dollar announcements on an almost weekly basis, this means that huge amounts of valuable materials are being transported across the US, ultimately creating new opportunities for criminals.
In addition to copper wiring (which is still high priced and so is criminal demand), criminals are also targeting components and complete hardware such as servers, GPU, storage and more.
But manufacturers are fighting back against the growing threat, often stamping materials with serial numbers and trackers or installing GPS trackers inside trailers. Selling on the used market is also more of a challenge than consumer goods theft, because buyers who spend millions typically want reassurance through documentation and proof of ownership.
Separate CargoNet data revealed that incidents of cargo theft increased by around 18% by 2025, with losses at a staggering 60% and the average value stolen increased by 36%. Metal theft also increased by 77%.
“Criminal enterprises are becoming more selective and sophisticated, targeting extremely high-value shipments rather than relying on opportunistic theft,” added Verisk CargoNet’s VP of Operations Keith Lewis.
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