Introduction
Identity theft is a silent but very effective tactic in logistics and shipping crime.
What is it? And how can you protect your business against it? Is there a shipping container or truck lock that can help you?
Let’s answer all of these questions.
What are identity theft heists?
Identity theft crime is when criminals use stolen (or made up) personal or corporate information to carry out fraudulent activities in order to steal your goods in storage or transit.
Identity theft usually involves the theft of personal data (names, addresses, social security numbers, credit card details) with, in some cases, also the fraudulent use of critical company information (the legit company whose personnel is to be supplanted).
Once the fake information is in place, criminals can create fake shipping orders or modify existing ones to divert shipments to unauthorized locations or hijack entire shipments.
In other cases, criminals may establish fake companies or use their false identity to gain employment at legitimate logistics or shipping companies. From that point onwards, they can gain access to valuable cargo or sensitive information.
While being a non-violent criminal activity, false identities and identity theft has devastating consequences for the companies who fall victims to it.
How can you prevent it?
Traditionally, to prevent identity theft in logistics and shipping, companies should take strict measures to secure their systems, verification steps and data.
Some can be summarized as:
implementing two-factor authentication;
better control of sensible data and actions (order acceptance and processing)
careful shortlisting of service providers
better vetting tactics for new service providers or customers
other security steps, including stronger HR protocols to identify possible false information from candidates or service providers.
Companies should also implement regular training programs to educate employees on the risks of identity theft and other cyber threats, and to promote best practices for data security.
Can a smart lock protect you against identity theft?
Yes, a smart lock for your truck or container protects you against identity theft not because of the resistance to violent attacks, but because of its access control capabilities.
For instance, Seguratainer locks do not use traditional keys: your smartphone is the only digital key you will ever need.
Thanks to the free Seguratainer mobile app, your phone uses NFC to wake the lock, verify the credentials and grant or deny access to opening the doors.
Each time your phone is used or each time another digital key, another smartphone, are used, an entry is logged into the Seguratainer Management Platform: no more anonymous access to your goods!
Learn more about the Seguratainer Managemennt Platform.
You can also issue news keys to personnel of your choice in few clicks. It takes seconds. Since each key is associated to a specific smartphone, you always see who has opened (or tried to) your container or truck doors, when, and where.
This also means there are no traditional keys in use: no keys lost, borrowed, or forged.
Even if somebody manages to take over one of your trucks or containers, they will have no keys, no keyhole to pick, and will be faced with a patented heavy-duty lock securing the goods.
Learn more about our heavy duty locks for shipping containers and trucks.
The full control of digital keys also means you can have goods inside a container or truck that is locked with a lock that has no keys assigned to it: a Seguratainer lock can be 100% functional, closed, but with no keys assigned to it.
You can keep the lock keyless until you have the full assurance that the person standing next to your goods is indeed a person of your trust. It only takes a few clicks and a few seconds to create a new key.
Conclusion
While being a non-violent criminal activity, false identity and identity theft has devastating consequences for the companies who fall victims to it.
The damage can go up to full loads of cargo missing, resulting in hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars of immediate losses.
Luckily, smart locks for containers and trucks can help you fight against this criminal tactic. They provide you with full personalized and traceable keys or the possibility to have no keys at all assigned to a load.
With a Segurarainer lock, next time someone tries to open a container or truck you will personally validate that access: no digital keys created until the right moment, double check the credentials of the potential key holder, their location and even the time of day; or engage in a video call to verify all parties are who they say they are!
Have you faced these problems? Would you like to tell us more about how your company operates? Contact us to receive a free consultation and learn more about our locks: contact@seguratainer.com