Porch pirates hit homes wearing Amazon vests that can be bought online

It is like an episode of “Scooby-Doo,” where under the Amazon delivery costumes are thieves. 

Over the last week, police departments alerted their communities to watch for porch pirates disguised as legitimate Amazon workers swiping packages. 

Police in Gardner, Massachusetts, about 1.5 hours northwest of Boston, said they have seen an increase in these types of crimes, as has a Pennsylvania police department.

In both states, law enforcement described the same modus operandi; the suspects wore Amazon vests, walked up to the home carrying an empty box and switched it with a package that was already delivered.

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Police in Gardner, Massachusetts, are looking for a suspected thief wearing a fake Amazon vest who stole packages. (Gardner Police Department/Facebook)

The vests are sold on Amazon’s site, but an Amazon spokesperson told Fox News Digital that non-employees cannot complete a purchase to get them. Other online retail sites sell bogus, real-looking vests for cheap, though. 

The spokesperson said it is similar to how criminals can buy fake police gear to impersonate law enforcement.

A statement from the company was not immediately available.

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Gardner police said in a Facebook post that the most recent cases involve bogus delivery workers stealing expensive items, such as cellphones. 

The department attached a picture of a suspected thief in the post. 

“We are urging the public to keep an eye out, be observant, and if possible, note any identifying information of suspicious persons or vehicle (license plates, vehicle make/model etc…) if safe to do so,” the department wrote. 

Police in Haverford Township, Pennsylvania, are looking for a suspect wearing a fake Amazon vest who stole packages. (Haverford Police/Facebook)

In Haverford Township, Pennsylvania, police asked for the public’s help identifying a specific suspect who allegedly hit homes on Covington Road in Havertown. 

“The subject in the photograph disguised themselves to appear to be making an Amazon delivery, while concealing an already delivered package from the resident’s home and walking away with it,” the police department said in a Facebook post. 

Anyone in the Haverford area, or anyone who has information about the suspect, is asked to call Det. Stephen Rost 610-853-1298 ext. 1127 or SRost@havpd.org and reference case # 24-009626. 

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The disguise unfortunately works well, considering more than half of the stolen packages (52%) are Amazon deliveries, according to a May 2023 study by Forbes Home, followed by postal service packages at 43% and UPS at 38%. 

FedEx is fourth on the list at 25%, followed by DHL deliveries at 10% and “other” at 3%, according to Forbes home. 

An Amazon vest is being sold on an online retailer. (Mercari)

Statistics and estimated losses vary depending on each study’s methodology, but they all have a common theme. 

What was once a Grinch-like act during the holiday season became a routine crime during the pandemic, which shifted many Americans’ spending habits. 

The Forbes Home study estimated $1.7 trillion worth of deliveries were stolen since 2020, and C + R Research said in a 2020 report that stolen packages increased from 36% in 2019 to 43% in 2020.

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Today, 80% of Americans say they receive a package delivery at least once a month, if not more, according to the Chamber of Commerce’s January 2024 study. 

In February, Forbes updated its research and estimated that around $8 billion of merchandise was stolen in 2023. 

The Chamber of Commerce said 1 in 4 online customers had a package stolen by a porch pirate. (Chamber of Commerce Study (January 2024))

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The Chamber of Commerce shared these key takeaways from the October 2023 survey:

• 26% said they had a package stolen.
• 49% of porch pirate victims live in single-unit residential homes vs. 42% of victims who live in apartments or condos.
• The average value of a stolen package was $81.91.
• 22% of victims said they had a doorbell camera when the theft occurred and 25% never received a refund for the stolen item(s).
• 38% believe that doorbell cameras do not deter package thieves.