PHOENIX — A sophisticated package theft operation has been dismantled by law enforcement.
Goodyear Police officials tell ABC15 there were 47 victims across the Valley.
"So, there's been two major arrests with countless felony charges from these two individuals, and some other people have been identified and are possibly still facing charges," said Sgt. Mayra Reeson with Goodyear Police.
Unlike typical porch pirates who randomly steal packages, this criminal network used information purchased on the dark web to specifically target high-value deliveries, including cell phones, computers and tablets.
"This was very sophisticated," said Sgt. Reeson. "He was purchasing the information on these packages on the dark web."
The suspects knew exactly who was receiving the expensive items and created fake Arizona identification cards with the victim's name but the suspect's photo to intercept deliveries.
Home security footage captured one suspect waiting near a residence to appear as if he lived there, collecting the package from the delivery driver, then returning to the porch before running back to his vehicle once the driver left.
"He's waiting here. So, it makes the appearance that he's coming from the house because he's waiting for his package," Sgt. Reeson explained while reviewing the footage with the Let ABC15 Know team.
Police say it's unclear exactly how the suspects obtained the delivery information, but they had detailed knowledge about recipients and package contents.
"They knew who was getting the product and what the name was. So, he was falsifying identifications that looked like real Arizona IDs with the name of the person on the package, but his photo," police said.
Investigators were able to break up the entire criminal network after victims reported the thefts to local law enforcement and provided security camera evidence.
"That's how, ultimately, this sophisticated network was caught," Sgt. Reeson added. "They saw this happen on their home security footage, and they called the police, and we were able to identify someone and track it down and stop this network of illegal activity."
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Protecting yourself from package theft
Police recommend several strategies to safeguard your online information.
"Monitor your bank accounts and your information. Make sure that you're changing your passwords frequently, because that's a lot of times. That's where these data breaches come from. Somebody gets a hold of… you use the same password for things over and over again, and they get a hold of one of your accounts, and that might be their access to your information," Sgt. Reeson advised.
Secure delivery options:
- Pick up expensive items at the store
- Use delivery lockers
- Have packages sent to your workplace or building's front office
- Schedule specific delivery times
- Require signatures for valuable packages
- Install security cameras for additional protection
The timing of this bust comes as more people shop online for the holidays, making package security increasingly important for consumers.
Do you have a consumer issue you want the Let ABC15 Know team to look into? Email Consumer@ABC15.com.
