Police warn of a series of package thefts targeting brand new mobile phone products being delivered by FedEx in various locations across the United States in recent months.
According to media reports, criminals have been obtaining tracking information and delivery locations of the phones before they are shipped out, organized to intercept the delivery, and stealing the packages containing the phones as soon as they arrive at the customers’ doorsteps.
In order to evade law enforcement scrutiny, thieves have recently come up with a new tactic by using DoorDash delivery bags, disguising themselves as employees of companies like Amazon or construction workers when intercepting package deliveries at customers’ homes, swiftly making off with the packages.
The incidents have been reported in multiple states throughout the US, primarily on the East Coast, including New York, Massachusetts, Florida, Virginia, Georgia, Pennsylvania, and as far west as Texas. In Northern Virginia alone, there have been at least 77 similar cases, while the New York City Police Department (NYPD) is currently investigating at least 55 related theft cases. Suspects in some instances are teenagers or young adults, with many thieves still at large.
The Wall Street Journal reported a similar theft captured by surveillance cameras in Texas in October. In the video, a thief is seen approaching a customer’s door and stealing a package containing an iPhone 16 just delivered by a courier, then driving away. Upon receiving the report, AT&T promptly locked the stolen device and provided the customer with a new iPhone 16.
Law enforcement agencies are looking into how the criminals are obtaining detailed information about shoppers’ addresses and delivery processes. Thieves seem to have access to tracking information of the deliveries, leading experts to speculate that insider employees may be collecting and selling package tracking numbers to the thieves, similar to the illicit sale of customer information on the dark web. It is also possible that hackers are remotely stealing data, but in cases of data breach, companies typically issue public announcements.
In a statement, AT&T said, “We are working in collaboration with law enforcement agencies and package delivery companies to protect deliveries from these sophisticated crimes.” FedEx responded, “We have implemented stringent security measures and regularly remind our employees to be vigilant about their own safety and the security of packages.”
With the arrival of a new holiday shopping season, AT&T advises consumers to take some safety measures to protect their doorstep packages, such as opting for in-store pickups nearby before delivery, requesting signatures for packages, using locked delivery boxes, storing packages inside garages, or installing a video doorbell for monitoring deliveries.