Freight Fraud Exposed: Strategies for Survival in the Digital Age with Michael Grace of Highway
Hosted by Santosh Sankar on June 4, 2025
Summary
During this episode, Santosh is joined by Michael Grace, Vice President of Customer Risk Management at Highway. Santosh and Michael discuss the alarming rise of freight fraud in the post-COVID transportation landscape as Michael explains how organized cybercriminals are exploiting industry vulnerabilities through sophisticated tactics like identity theft, email spoofing, and strategic load theft. He also highlights the significant increase in fraud attempts, with a staggering 1400% rise in strategic cargo theft between 2022 and 2024. Highway's approach focuses on verifying carrier identities, providing tools for brokers and carriers to combat fraud, and educating the industry about emerging threats. The key takeaway is that freight fraud is a growing, complex problem that requires proactive technological solutions, vigilance, and a commitment to verifying the authenticity of every transaction in the transportation ecosystem. Don’t miss this episode.
Show Notes
Highlights from their conversation include:
- Overview of Highway and Michael's Background in Freight (1:35)
- Rise of Freight Fraud (2:29)
- Types of Fraud Encountered (5:52)
- Fraudulent Carrier Tactics (8:11)
- Highway's Carrier Vetting Process (10:23)
- Impact of Freight Fraud (11:53)
- Highway's Identity Engine (16:57)
- Comparison with Other Tools (19:09)
- Quality of Assets in Freight (22:23)
- Freight Fraud Index Launch (24:03)
- Compromised Email Inboxes and Phone Spoofing Tactics (26:04)
- Myths About Freight Brokers (28:06)
- Final Thoughts and Closing Remarks (29:07)
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