Amazon delivery driver impersonator has been stealing packages in Chicago's South Loop
Doorbell camera video shows a thief posing as an Amazon delivery driver in Chicago's South Loop — dropping off empty packages and stealing what was already on people's stoops.
In the South Loop, a delivery driver can be found dropping off a package at nearly every corner during the day. But that one thief wearing an Amazon vest is blending in and ripping people off.
As seen in surveillance video, the man looks legit at first glance as he carries a package to a front door. But a closer look shows him picking up and taking away a package at Paul Wasserman's door — while leaving behind what Wasserman described as "just an old, sort of wet box just laying on the path."
Wasserman recalls that a real delivery driver dropped off his real package first, and then within minutes, the Amazon impersonator moved in and took it away — swapping it out with that empty, wet box.
"He got to it before I did, basically," Wasserman said. "He showed up 15 minutes after it was dropped off."
The same day, blocks away also in the South Loop, the guy wearing the Amazon vest walked up again for a switcheroo. But this time, he struggled as he took away a huge item meant for Crystal Chau and her son.
"It's actually my son's mattress. it's a twin-size mattress," Chau said. "So it's like a big box."
Yet the thief keeps getting away because he mostly hides his face with the empty box he drops — and because he looks legit to anyone he passes.
"He definitely had this worked out," said Wasserman. "Somehow, he got the Amazon vest."
"I feel like he's just trying to blend in, pretend he's delivering packages, and then take the real package," said Chau.
Around the South Loop and in many communities, real delivery drivers are out all the time doing their jobs. But the actions of the thief make people do double-takes against real delivery drivers who are simply working.
"For every intent and purpose, he looked like a regular Amazon worker doing his thing," said Wasserman. "That's about as smart as I've seen it be."
"He must be following these delivery trucks, because the window is so short," said Chau.
Ald. Pat Dowell (3rd) said in a Facebook comment that she has alerted Central (1st) Chicago Police District Cmdr. David Harris about the thief, and has requested special attention to the area where the thefts are happening. Dowell encouraged every victim to file a police report and share any video, so as to show the need for additional police resources in the South Loop.
"Not sure I entirely buy it, but I would hope for that," said Wasserman.
"Some neighbors on Facebook said: 'It's useless. Don't do it. It doesn't do anything,'" Chau said of the idea of filing a police report. "Well then, I feel like we should do it. It's not just me. It's the neighborhood."
Amazon said in a statement: "Unfortunately there are bad actors who wear look-alike apparel to commit porch piracy. We encourage anyone who's been a victim to report the crime to police and contact our Customer Service team for support."
