The Mexico–U.S. border has always been a bustling gateway for cross-continental trade, but in early 2026, it's also ground zero for a surging wave of fictitious carrier and MC-cloning fraud. Since late December 2025, reports from the Laredo/Nuevo Laredo corridor show a staggering 40%+ increase in fake bookings—criminals cloning legitimate Motor Carrier (MC) numbers to pose as trusted haulers, book high-value loads, and vanish with the freight. These scams exploit digital