Hackers shipped unauthorized purchases to Long Island home, then porch pirates swiped package, family says
MASSAPEQUA PARK, N.Y. — A Long Island family says they caught porch pirates swiping a package from their home earlier this month, but they weren't the ones who had ordered the item.
According to police, hackers managed to access Erica Bernhard's Bloomingdale's account password, ordered multiple items and had them shipped to her Massapequa Park home.
A so-called "runner" followed the UPS delivery of a high-end, costly vacuum, then boldly tried to swipe the package from Bernhard's porch.
Video shows family chasing porch pirates in Massapequa Park
"This was a scam. Somebody ordered it, we did not order it, and then out of the corner of my eye, here comes the guy," father Glenn Bernhard said.
"My mom, I guess, was right by the door, so she started screaming," Erica Bernhard said.
"It was mayhem," Glenn Bernhard said.
Video from a porch camera shows the entire family giving chase, though Glenn Bernard tripped over a lawn ornament.
"I just had a knee replacement and hip, so I couldn't run," he said.
"When [the porch pirate] was running, I saw the car there. He had the door open, it was on, there was no one else in there, and he jumped in and sped off," Erica Bernhard said.
Expert tips on how to avoid scams
Experts say thieves are targeting victims through cyber scams, identity theft and hacking into company accounts that contain customers' personal information.
"It's like a war on our economy fought by criminals around the world with foot soldiers here on the ground now, stealing packages," said Adam Schwam, CEO of Sandwire, an IT support company. "If a website gets hacked, the information may be exfiltrated, which is usually user names and passwords."
Nassau County detectives recommend the Bernhards, and everyone, check their accounts more frequently, check emails often and have different passwords.
The average value of stolen packages costs consumers $219.
