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An NBC report cited by Tom’s Hardware says more than $100 million in computing and related equipment was stolen through shipment interceptions since June 2026. Reported incidents include a $38 million theft in Reno and two June 2026 thefts involving equipment valued at $13 million and $10 million; details about the cases and investigation remain limited.
More than $100 million in computing and related equipment has reportedly been stolen by intercepting shipments since June 2026, according to an NBC report summarized by Tom’s Hardware. The reported thefts target valuable data center hardware in transit and involve methods ranging from digital account compromise to physical attacks on trucks, though details of individual cases and law-enforcement findings are limited.
The reported thefts involve organized crime teams taking equipment from or alongside transport trucks. The tactics described include hacking and phishing, ramming vehicles, and spoofing GPS signals. NBC’s reporting, as recounted by Tom’s Hardware, also says the groups have ties to international criminal networks. Those descriptions do not establish that every method was used in each incident.
Among the incidents cited, a theft in Reno this year involved $38 million in equipment. The report also describes two thefts in June 2026: about $13 million in equipment taken in the Mojave Desert area, and roughly $10 million in server rack components being transported to Texas. The figures are reported valuations; the available account does not specify how they were calculated or whether all the goods were recovered.
The report places the incidents against a broader rise in transit thefts involving data center gear over the past couple of years. It also cites a separate July 2025 Reno theft, in which $15 million in semiconductors and Apple products were reportedly stolen, attributing that earlier figure to Fortune. That case predates the reported 2026 total and is not presented as part of it.
Supply chain watch · October 2026
Data Center Gear Is Being Hijacked In Transit
More than $100 million in computing and related equipment has reportedly been stolen through shipment interceptions since June 2026. The reported cases point to risks across both physical transport and digital logistics.
Computing and related equipment, according to an NBC report summarized by Tom’s Hardware.
Equipment reportedly stolen in Reno.
Case details, recoveries and investigation findings remain limited.
01 / What the reporting says
High-value cargo, targeted on the move
The account describes organized crime teams taking equipment from or alongside transport trucks. It says the networks have ties to international criminal groups, while the available details do not establish that every described tactic was used in each incident.
Hacking & phishing
Compromised accounts or shipment information could expose cargo details or enable diversion. Their role in individual cases is not established.
Vehicle ramming
The reporting describes attacks on trucks, putting drivers and vehicles at potential risk alongside the cargo.
GPS spoofing
GPS signal spoofing is among the tactics cited. The account does not specify where or how often it was used.
02 / Incidents cited
Three reported 2026 losses
These are headline valuations reported in the account. It does not explain how they were calculated or whether any goods were recovered.
Reno
Equipment reportedly stolen in 2026; an exact date and further case details were not provided.
Mojave Desert area
A June 2026 theft involving computing equipment, according to the account.
Texas-bound shipment
Server rack components reportedly stolen while being transported to Texas in June 2026.
Earlier Reno case · July 2025
A separate theft of semiconductors and Apple products, attributed to Fortune; outside the reported 2026 total.
03 / Supply chain exposure
Where the risk can travel
These reported thefts show how high-value computing equipment can be exposed before it reaches a data center. Shipments can affect carriers and buyers, while the reporting does not quantify delays, insurance losses or construction impacts.
Shipment planned
Valuable cargo is prepared for transport.
Information exposed
Digital logistics systems may be a target, according to the described tactics.
Interception reported
Physical attacks or other methods may put cargo and drivers at risk.
Delivery disrupted
Potential consequences are not quantified in the available account.
04 / What is not yet known
Reported valuations are not a full accounting
Risks for Data Center Supply Chains
These reported thefts show how high-value computing equipment can be exposed before it reaches a data center, rather than only after installation. Servers, semiconductors and rack components are costly, portable cargo, and a shipment interception can affect the companies moving the equipment as well as the intended buyers. The reported scale makes transportation security a concern for technology supply chains.
The range of alleged tactics also points to risks across both physical logistics and digital systems. If shipment details or tracking accounts are compromised, criminals may be able to identify or divert cargo; physical attacks can then put drivers and vehicles in danger. The available reporting does not establish how often these methods are combined, or quantify delays, insurance losses or effects on data center construction.
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Earlier Reno Cargo Thefts
The pattern described in the reporting is not limited to one shipment or one year. Tom’s Hardware says this kind of theft has grown over the past couple of years, citing a $15 million Reno cargo theft in July 2025 involving semiconductors and Apple products. Fortune is named as the outlet that reported that earlier incident.
The 2026 cases highlighted in the account vary in location and cargo: the reported $38 million Reno loss, a $13 million theft in the Mojave Desert area, and $10 million in server rack components bound for Texas. The account does not provide exact dates for the Reno theft or additional details about the vehicles, carriers, or destinations in those cases.
Case Details Still Unreported
The account provides headline valuations and a summary of alleged tactics, but leaves key facts unresolved. It does not identify the companies or carriers involved, say whether suspects have been arrested or charged, or give the status of any investigations. It is also unclear whether the reported $100 million-plus figure covers only thefts since June 2026, which incidents were included, and whether the reported values represent wholesale, replacement or insured costs.
The account does not say how much equipment has been recovered, whether shipments were insured, or how authorities substantiated claims about international criminal connections. The figures should be treated as reported estimates, not as a complete accounting of confirmed losses. The specific role of hacking, phishing or GPS spoofing in each theft is likewise not established in the available details.
Investigations and Losses to Track
Further reporting and statements from investigators, carriers or affected companies would be needed to clarify the incidents, confirm the values and establish whether the thefts are linked. Updates could also show whether cargo was recovered, whether suspects face charges and what security changes shippers are making.
For now, the reported total signals a substantial exposure for equipment in transit, but does not provide a full picture of the losses or their consequences. The next key developments are confirmation of case details and any public findings about how the shipments were targeted.
Source: Tom’s Hardware
Key Questions
How much equipment has reportedly been stolen?
An NBC report summarized by Tom’s Hardware puts the value of computing and related equipment stolen through shipment interception at more than $100 million since June 2026. The available account does not provide a full list of incidents or explain how the total was calculated.
What tactics are described?
The report describes hacking, phishing, vehicle ramming and GPS signal spoofing. It does not establish that each tactic was used in every theft.
Which incidents are cited?
The account cites a $38 million theft in Reno this year, a $13 million theft in the Mojave Desert area in June 2026, and about $10 million in server rack components stolen while headed to Texas. It also mentions a separate $15 million Reno theft in July 2025 involving semiconductors and Apple products.
Have suspects been arrested or has equipment been recovered?
The available account does not say whether suspects have been arrested or charged, or whether any of the equipment has been recovered. Those details remain unconfirmed here.
Source: Tom’s Hardware
