Watch: 'Delivery' man wearing fake Amazon vest steals package from Massachusetts home
What appeared to be an Amazon driver delivering a package was actually a thief carrying one away.
A doorbell camera captured footage of a man wearing a fake Amazon vest and casually stealing a package from in front of a home in the Massachusetts city of Gardner, about 60 miles northwest of Boston. The video shows the thief approach the home in broad daylight last month and carrying a box as he walks in, a likely attempt to look more like a legitimate deliveryman.
The Gardner Police Department said on Facebook that there has been a recent increase in the theft of delivered packages from people's doorsteps, often by suspects wearing "Amazon" vests. Expensive items like cell phones are most commonly stolen in the the thefts, which are happening sometimes mere minutes after deliveries.
"We are urging the public to keep an eye out, be observant, and if possible note any identifying information of suspicious persons or vehicles (license plates, vehicle make/model etc) if safe to do so," the department wrote.
Amazon regularly monitors the internet for unauthorized Amazon apparel and demands anyone to remove those items.
"We're looking into this incident and recognize that, unfortunately, there are bad actors who wear Amazon-branded or look-alike apparel to commit package theft," spokesperson Austin Stowe said in a statement to USA TODAY. "We encourage anyone who’s been a victim of package theft to report it to the police and we’ll work with law enforcement to help as much as possible."
Many thefts reported in town that day
The package was stolen from Gardner resident Matt Elsevier, who at first believed the thief was an actual Amazon delivery employee, according to local station WCVB-TV.
"He walked in carrying a package with his phone. You know, he made it look (legitimate) like he was actually going to drop off a package," Elsevier told the station. "As soon as I saw the footage, I made a call to the police and filed a report. I sent them all the security footage that I had."
Gardner police Det. Lt. Matt Arsenault said Elsevier's home was one of many thefts that day, WCVB-TV reported.
Arsenault urged residents to consider having their packages delivered to other more secure locations, like the Post Office, a UPS Store or a nearby Amazon locker.
Contributing: Stephen Landry, The Gardner News
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Thief wears fake Amazon vest to steal package in Massachusetts: Video
