Costco Lobster Never Arrives After Criminal Uses Fake License to Take $400,000 Shipment [Video]

A massive lobster theft has left authorities puzzled and desperate to hold the bandits accountable.

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Investigators say nearly $400,000 worth of processed lobster vanished after a suspect allegedly infiltrated a legitimate freight operation by posing as an authorized driver. The seafood was already deceased, packaged, and moving through the supply chain when it was rerouted and never arrived at its intended destinations.

Dylan Rexing, president and chief executive of Rexing Companies, confirmed the stolen shipment was scheduled for delivery to Costco locations in Illinois and Minnesota. What makes the case especially troubling, he said, is how calculated the theft appears to have been.

“This theft wasn’t random,” Rexing said. “It followed a pattern we’re seeing more and more, where criminals impersonate legitimate carriers using spoofed emails and burner phones to hijack high-value freight while it’s in transit.”

Company officials emphasized that the lobster was not taken during a roadside stop or rest break. Instead, authorities believe the suspect showed up at the pickup point with a counterfeit commercial driver’s license, successfully impersonating the real driver assigned to the load and gaining access without immediate suspicion.

For Rexing Companies, the loss has been deeply disruptive. Rexing explained that for a mid-size brokerage, a $400,000 hit is “significant” and “forces tough decisions and ultimately drives up costs across the supply chain – costs consumers ultimately end up paying.”

Following the incident, Rexing called on federal agencies to strengthen enforcement efforts and adopt updated tools to better confront organized cargo theft networks.

“Until that happens, these thefts will continue to disrupt businesses and impact everyday prices,” he stated.

The investigation remains active as authorities work to track down those responsible.