A Lawndale man who says he was the victim of a bold package theft is speaking out after learning of a similar, recent occurrence in Irvine.
In both instances, a person – who appeared to be a bearded man with glasses in a white shirt and dark pants, based on captured images – waited outside or walked past a home, allegedly identified himself as the homeowner and was handed a package by a UPS delivery person before taking off.
Both times, the packages contained a laptop, according to the victims – something that Lawndale resident John Shin thinks is too much of a coincidence.
“He knew what the item was (in the package) and he knew who it was coming to. And it also happened in Irvine. It’s targeted. … It’s an insider’s game,” Shin said in an interview on Thursday, Nov. 28.
The L.A. County Sheriff’s Department on Thursday did not respond to specific questions about the Lawndale incident. Irvine police did not respond to questions about whether they believe the cases are related.
Shin said he was home the afternoon of Nov. 14 when he received a notice on his phone that a package had been delivered. When he checked and didn’t see anyone around, he chased down the UPS truck about a block or so from his home to inquire about the delivery.
The UPS employees said they handed the package to a man who claimed to be him and who showed a form of identity on his phone, Shin said.
Several days after that incident, Shin learned of a similar occurrence in Orange County. In the Irvine case, the suspect showed a UPS driver a driver’s license, signed for the package, then got into a gray sedan with no license plates and took off.
After reviewing images from the Irvine case, Shin believes it was the same man outside his home who impersonated him.
“I just want this person to know he’s going to be known, that people are watching,” Shin said about why he’s sharing his story publicly.
Shin said he filed a report with the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department, as well as the FBI, the retailer and UPS. His credit card company temporarily credited him back about $4,500 – what he paid for the laptop – while the case is under investigation, he said.
From now on, Shin said, he plans to have valuable items delivered to a store where he can go to pick up the packages. He advises others to do the same.
UPS referred a reporter to local authorities for comments about the Lawndale and Irvine incidents.
As for concerns about porch piracy, a spokesperson for UPS said in an email that customers can sign up for a free service through UPS My Choice, which will alert them via email when their package is scheduled to be delivered.
Also through UPS My Choice, customers can arrange to have packages delivered to their workplace, to a UPS location for pickup, or to a relative or neighbor who is home during the day. They can also let the UPS driver know where they want packages left, such as in the backyard or behind the garage.
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