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Anatomy of a High-Tech Heist1. THE FENCE PLACES AN ORDER: Cargo thefts are often initiated when a fence, generally a business person who owns a seemingly legitimate computer company, tells thieves what parts are desirable. 2. SURVEILLANCE: Using tools such as binoculars and video cameras, the gang cases the factory or shipping site it plans to hit, taking note of the comings and goings of cargo trucks and security guards. 3. THE ATTACK: When the cargo is vulnerable--say, left in a truck in an unguarded lot--the criminals swoop in. While armed attacks are rare, they're becoming more frequent. 4. BACK TO THE FENCE: Within hours, the goods are delivered in their original packaging to the fence, who drafts a fake invoice and ships them to other computer-component resellers. Sometimes the products are sold a dozen times in a few days--effectively making them indistinguishable from legitimate parts. 5. INTO THE CHAIN OF COMMERCE: Stolen parts are so ubiquitous that they often wind up, after passing through many resellers, in the hands of legitimate companies.
DATA: BUSINESS WEEK
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Updated June 15, 1997 by bwwebmaster
Copyright 1997, by The McGraw-Hill Companies Inc. All rights reserved.
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