DALLAS, Oct. 27, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Highway, the leader in Carrier Identity® and proactive fraud prevention for freight brokers, today releases its Q3 2025 Freight Fraud Index, revealing a continued rise in identity-driven attacks targeting brokers and carrier networks.
According to the report, 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—a warning sign for brokers, carriers, and shippers as the industry heads into peak season.
In Q3, Highway blocked 605,728 fraudulent email attempts and identified 62,531 fraudulent phone numbers. Brokers reported 2,992 identity alerts, and Highway recorded 149 unauthorized Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) contact changes, reinforcing the persistent manipulation of carrier records. Through the first three quarters of 2025, Highway has blocked 1,453,129 fraudulent email attempts, already exceeding the total of 914,719 for the full year 2024.
“Bad actors are evolving, but the most effective defenses remain rooted in the fundamentals,” said 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.”
Highway’s data points to email takeovers and phishing as the primary entry points for identity misuse. Fraud rings often blend into legitimate email threads to intercept rate confirmations, impersonate dispatchers, and redirect payments. 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.
Industry data supports Highway’s findings. FreightWaves reports that in Q2, U.S cargo theft rose 33% year over year to 525 incidents, with pilferage accounting for a majority of cases. In Mexico, 82% of thefts involved violence, with most incidents occurring while trucks were in transit, followed by thefts from unsecured parking areas. These patterns align with the impersonation and strategic theft techniques behind email thread intrusions, dispatcher spoofing, and payment redirection, underscoring the need for rigorous identity verification from tender through settlement.
As holiday season approaches, Highway has flagged a higher risk for meat and seafood, frozen foods, consumer electronics, and alcoholic or specialty beverages—particularly on multi-stop routes and at high-volume consolidation points.
Highway recommends a simple set of controls: verify carrier identity and contact changes with a trusted source, require multi-factor authentication on all email accounts, deliver rate confirmations only through secure channels, and escalate any unusual login behavior or account changes for re-verification.
To learn more about the Freight Fraud Index and Highway’s Carrier Identity solutions, visit https://highway.com/.
About Highway
Highway is the leading technology provider specializing in Carrier Identity® solutions for freight brokers, empowering them to reduce fraud and streamline the digital booking process. By automating compliance, Highway gives brokers the ability to enforce an all-new standard, enabling them to efficiently identify the right carrier for every load and build their network with speed and security. With a commitment to transparency, trust, and truth, Highway equips brokers with the data necessary to focus on delivering exceptional service while driving business growth without fear of fraud. For more information, visit https://highway.com/.
Media Contact:
Makayla Cruz
LeadCoverage
makayla@leadcoverage.com
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/fbbff004-cb8e-45d7-a919-2d0498d71b51
