Crime Surge: Thieves Stealing Excavators and Re-Hiring Them for Profit

Australia is seeing an alarming rise in heavy-equipment theft, with criminal groups now stealing excavators and fraudulently hiring them out for cash — leaving legitimate owners tens of thousands of dollars out of pocket.

Police across multiple states are warning construction companies, civil contractors and plant-hire businesses to tighten their security as organised theft rings target machinery left on roadside projects, development estates and rural worksites.

A New Twist: “Steal-to-Hire” Scheme

Traditionally, stolen excavators were stripped for parts or shipped overseas. Now, a new trend is emerging: stolen machines are being re-listed on online marketplaces and social-media classifieds under fake business names and offered for short-term hire to unsuspecting builders and homeowners.

The scam is simple but lucrative.
Thieves use tilt-trays or low loaders to remove the machine, create a fake ABN or shell business, then advertise the excavator for hire at below-market rates. Because many small operators pay in cash or bank transfer without checking serial numbers, the equipment can be “hired” multiple times before anyone realises.

In several recent cases, criminals pocketed $5,000–$15,000 in quick cash from hires before abandoning or relocating the machine.

Construction Industry Hit Hard

Industry groups say the rise of hire-fraud has pushed losses into the millions. A stolen 5–8 tonne excavator can cost $80,000–$150,000 to replace — not including downtime, project delays and increased insurance premiums.

Some thieves have even gone further:

• Replacing decals and branding to disguise the machine

• Cloning serial numbers from legitimate excavators

• Tracking worksites on social media to see where equipment is left unattended

• Using counterfeit hire agreements to fool unsuspecting customers

One Queensland contractor reported that his stolen excavator had been re-hired 11 times in three weeks, travelling between Logan, Ipswich and the Gold Coast before being recovered.

Police & Insurers Respond

Police have urged plant owners to install GPS tracking, immobilisers and real-time telematics to stop stolen equipment from being moved or to locate it quickly.

Insurers are also tightening claim requirements, requesting:

• Proof of immobiliser installation

• GPS travel logs

• Photographic evidence of secure storage

• Serial-number checks before accepting hire agreements

The National Equipment Register (NER) says equipment theft has risen 20–30% over the past two years, driven partly by high demand and shortages of construction machinery.

How to Protect Your Machines

Experts recommend contractors:

• Install remote engine immobilisers

• Use tamper-proof GPS trackers

• Park machines in locked compounds or block them in with other equipment

• Photograph serial numbers and key components

• Conduct ID checks on all hirers

• Avoid cash-only hires

A Growing Black-Market Industry

With online marketplaces making it easy to create new listings and burner accounts, police say the “steal-to-hire” model is expanding rapidly.

Authorities are now calling for better verification systems, mandatory GPS tracking for high-value machinery, and harsher penalties for equipment theft.

As the construction boom continues, experts warn the problem will worsen unless the industry strengthens security and verification processes.