Construction equipment theft, is the criminal act of stealing or attempting to steal construction equipment, including all type of heavy equipments. Construction equipment theft has been recognized as a significant problem in the United States and elsewhere in the world, including Canada, Australia, Europe, and Japan. [1]
Construction equipment is believed to be targeted by thieves because it is often poorly secured, easily disguised and very expensive. Some construction equipment can cost as much as $150,000. Backhoes can cost $45,000 to $55,000 (this and other figures in 2010 U.S. dollars); skid steer loaders, $25,000 to $35,000; generators, $25,000 to $150,000 (for trailer mounts); forklifts, $12,000 to $50,000. [2]
Anti-theft measures taken for registered motor vehicles are often not used on construction equipment: open cabs of construction equipment can be easy for thieves to access; equipment often has "one key fits all" ignition systems; construction equipment often does not have standardized vehicle identification numbers or serial numbers, and when they do, thieves often remove the numbers; title and registration for the equipment are not mandated. Record keeping for construction equipment is often poor, making identification of recovered items difficult. [2] Large construction equipment is used to flatten a security fence before thieves leave a storage or construction site.
Thieves typically remove all identifying numbers before reselling the items, often to unsuspecting contractors. Other equipment may be stripped down to components for separate resale on the black market. Some items stolen in the United States and the United Kingdom [3] are sold overseas. [2] [4]
Thefts can occur from construction sites, by thieves posing as customers of rental companies and from equipment storage areas. Stolen construction equipment is sometimes used to commit other crimes. For example, thieves have used construction equipment to move or destroy bank ATMs. [5]
According to UAE-based Al Tayyeb Used Heavy Equip. & Machines Tr. L.L.C., more than 450 items of stolen construction equipment were reported to Japan Construction Equipment Manufacturers Association in 2008 in Japan alone. [6]
In the United States, the National Insurance Crime Bureau estimated that by 2007 more than $1 billion in construction equipment was stolen each year. [2]
In the United Kingdom, according to the 2009 Equipment Theft Report, published by the National Plant & Equipment Register, the most commonly stolen items in that country in 2008 were trailers (911 thefts), excavators (849), site dumpers (244) and telehandlers (202). The biggest increases in thefts were in agricultural tractors (up 149 percent), quad bikes (up 83 percent), forklift trucks (up 67 percent), and portable generators (up 55 percent). TER manager Tim Purbrick said organized criminals found construction theft very lucrative. [3]
As of 1998, the Home Depot chain of stores, which rent construction equipment, implemented two policies which dramatically reduced theft, according to the company: It stopped leaving equipment in trailers, ready for hauling away, and it used tire locks rather than chains to secure equipment in place. "When would-be thieves see that they have to load the equipment onto a trailer, which takes extra time, makes more noise and may draw attention to their actions, they decide it's not worth the trouble," Dan McAreavey, product manager for Home Depot Tool Rental for North America, told Rental Equipment Register, a business publication. [7]
In the United Kingdom, the Construction Equipment Security And Registration (CESAR) and The National Plant & Equipment Register programs allow companies to register equipment to help recover stolen items. [3]
In 2008, a trend was identified in the United Kingdom in which criminals rented equipment for fake sites and then vanished once the equipment was delivered. "Early indications are that CESAR registered plant is up to six times more likely to be recovered than non-CESAR registered items", according to RSA (formerly Royal Sun Alliance), a British insurance company. RSA recommended that rental businesses be sure to identify those leasing equipment and either establish credit with customers or use credit or debit cards for payment. [3]
Identity theft, identity piracy or identity infringement occurs when someone uses another's personal identifying information, like their name, identifying number, or credit card number, without their permission, to commit fraud or other crimes. The term identity theft was coined in 1964. Since that time, the definition of identity theft has been legally defined throughout both the U.K. and the U.S. as the theft of personally identifiable information. Identity theft deliberately uses someone else's identity as a method to gain financial advantages or obtain credit and other benefits. The person whose identity has been stolen may suffer adverse consequences, especially if they are falsely held responsible for the perpetrator's actions. Personally identifiable information generally includes a person's name, date of birth, social security number, driver's license number, bank account or credit card numbers, PINs, electronic signatures, fingerprints, passwords, or any other information that can be used to access a person's financial resources.
Motor vehicle theft or car theft is the criminal act of stealing or attempting to steal a motor vehicle.
A catalytic converter is an exhaust emission control device which converts toxic gases and pollutants in exhaust gas from an internal combustion engine into less-toxic pollutants by catalyzing a redox reaction. Catalytic converters are usually used with internal combustion engines fueled by gasoline or diesel, including lean-burn engines, and sometimes on kerosene heaters and stoves.
A rental agreement is a contract of rental, usually written, between the owner of a property and a renter who desires to have temporary possession of the property; it is distinguished from a lease, which is more typically for a fixed term. As a minimum, the agreement identifies the parties, the property, the term of the rental, and the amount of rent for the term. The owner of the property may be referred to as the lessor and the renter as the lessee.
Metal theft is "the theft of items for the value of their constituent metals". It usually increases when worldwide prices for scrap metal rise, as has happened dramatically due to rapid industrialization in India and China. Apart from precious metals like gold and silver, the metals most commonly stolen are non-ferrous metals such as copper, aluminium, brass, and bronze. However, even cast iron and steel are seeing higher rates of theft due to increased scrap metal prices.
A fence, also known as a receiver, mover, or moving man, is an individual who knowingly buys stolen goods in order to later resell them for profit. The fence acts as a middleman between thieves and the eventual buyers of stolen goods who may not be aware that the goods are stolen.
A bait car, also called a decoy car, hot car, or trap car, is a vehicle used by law enforcement agencies to capture car thieves or thieves who steal items from cars. The vehicles are modified with audio/video surveillance technology, and can be remotely monitored and controlled. Those set up to catch car thieves may include GPS tracking. A "kill switch" may be installed in the vehicle allowing police to remotely disable the engine and lock all doors, preventing escape. A car set up to catch thieves who steal items from cars may be disabled so that it cannot be started and have specially prepared "bait property".
In the United States, VIN etching is a countermeasure to motor vehicle theft, that involves etching a vehicle's VIN onto its windows to reduce the value of a stolen vehicle to thieves. The Federal Trade Commission includes VIN etching on a list of upsold services including extended warranties, service and maintenance plans, payment programs, guaranteed automobile or asset protection, emergency road service, and other theft protection devices, and warns consumers about the practice of upselling when buying a vehicle.
LoJack is a stolen vehicle recovery and IoT-connected car system that utilizes GPS and cellular technology to locate users' vehicles, view trip history, see battery levels, track speeding, and maintain vehicle health via a native app. Prior to selling a vehicle, LoJack dealers can use the system to manage and locate inventory, view and manage battery health, and recover stolen inventory.
Joyriding is driving or riding in a stolen vehicle, most commonly a car, with no particular goal other than the pleasure or thrill of doing so or to impress other people. The term "joy riding" was coined by a New York judge in 1908.
United Rentals, Inc is an American equipment rental company, with about 16 percent of the North American market share as of 2022. It owns the largest rental fleet in the world with approximately 4,700 classes of equipment totaling about $19.3 billion in original equipment cost (OEC) as of 2022. The company has a combined total of 1,625 locations, including an integrated network of 1,504 rental locations in North America, 38 in Europe, 23 in Australia and 19 in New Zealand. In North America, the company operates in 49 U.S. states and Puerto Rico and in every Canadian province. In 2017, United Rentals' revenue totaled more than $6.64 billion, with over $1.35 billion in profit. It is ranked #424 on the Fortune 500, #1183 on the Forbes Global 2000 list of the world's largest public companies, and is the world's largest equipment rental company.
SmartWater is a traceable liquid and forensic asset marking system (taggant), applied to items of value to identify thieves, and deter theft. The liquid leaves a unique identifier, whose presence "cannot be easily seen by the naked eye" except under ultraviolet black light.
Property crime is a category of crime, usually involving private property, that includes, among other crimes, burglary, larceny, theft, motor vehicle theft, arson, shoplifting, and vandalism. Property crime is a crime to obtain money, property, or some other benefit. This may involve force, or the threat of force, in cases like robbery or extortion. Since these crimes are committed in order to enrich the perpetrator they are considered property crimes. Crimes against property are divided into two groups: destroyed property and stolen property. When property is destroyed, it could be called arson or vandalism. Examples of the act of stealing property is robbery or embezzlement.
Dog theft is the crime of taking a dog from its owner. The theft of a dog to be held for ransom may be called dognapping, by analogy with kidnapping.
Horse theft is the crime of stealing horses. A person engaged in stealing horses is known as a horse thief. Historically, punishments were often severe for horse theft, with several cultures pronouncing the sentence of death upon actual or presumed thieves. Several societies were formed in the United States to prevent horse theft and apprehend horse thieves. However, horse theft continues to occur throughout the world, as horses are stolen for their meat, for ransom, or in disputes between their owners and other persons. Horse theft today is comparable to automobile theft, a crime punishable by felony jail time.
Albert Gonzalez is an American computer hacker, computer criminal and police informer, who is accused of masterminding the combined credit card theft and subsequent reselling of more than 170 million card and ATM numbers from 2005 to 2007, the biggest such fraud in history. Gonzalez and his accomplices used SQL injection to deploy backdoors on several corporate systems in order to launch packet sniffing attacks which allowed him to steal computer data from internal corporate networks.
SelectaDNA is a forensic property marking system used as part of crime prevention strategies for businesses and residential properties.
Getaround is an online car sharing or peer-to-peer carsharing service that connects drivers who need to reserve cars with car owners who share their cars in exchange for payment.
The 1972 Montreal Museum of Fine Arts robbery, sometimes called the Skylight Caper, took place very early in the morning of September 4 of that year. Three armed robbers used a skylight under repair to gain entry to the museum from its roof, tied up the three guards on duty, and left on foot with 18 paintings, including a rare Rembrandt landscape and works by Jan Brueghel the Elder, Corot, Delacroix, Rubens, and Thomas Gainsborough, as well as some figurines and jewellery. One of the Brueghels was returned by the thieves as an initiative to start ransom negotiations. None of the other paintings has ever been recovered and the robbers have never been arrested or even publicly identified, although there is at least one informal suspect.
Package theft or cargo theft is the theft of a package or parcel. It can occur anywhere in the distribution channel.
