Clogged U.S. supply chains lead to cargo theft

As U.S. merchants grapple with clogged ports as well a shortage of truck drivers, warehouse workers and front-line employees, the supply-chain snarls are leading to another concern as the pandemic drags on: cargo theft.

"The more that the supply chain in general is backed up, the more cargo you're going to have sitting. And that creates a bigger opportunity for thefts," Scott Cornell, a crime and theft specialist at insurance giant Travelers, told CBS MoneyWatch.

This year, the prime targets of thieves are electronics amid the chip shortage and refrigerated food, according to figures from CargoNet, a division of Verisk Analytics, which tracks thefts along the supply chain for companies, agencies and others.