ST. LOUIS PARK, Minn. — We are in the final dash to Christmas and millions of deliveries are being brought to doorsteps every day. Which means, thieves are on the hunt for packages.
A new technique reported in St. Louis Park might have you thinking twice about who could be at your door.
"It's extremely unnerving," Anna Bowles said.
Bowles says she was home alone with her 3-week-old newborn and toddler when a man came to their door dressed as an Amazon delivery driver and stole their Amazon packages. The thief was captured on their Ring doorbell camera on Wednesday at 9:45 a.m.
Bowles says he stole last-minute gifts and wrapping paper. Amazon refunded her immediately.
She's not the only one this happened to. St. Louis Park Police's spokesperson Jacque Smith says another person reported something similar happening to them. Smith added they've seen a handful of package thefts per week since November.
"We just want to raise awareness because obviously someone is out there doing this to other people and it's just bad timing with Christmas and everything," Bowles said.
KARE 11's Morgan Wolfe contacted Amazon about this incident. A spokesperson told her, "People impersonating Amazon delivery drivers is not something we are seeing." They added it's not a known trend anywhere else and they will be opening an investigation.
“We know how disappointing it is for customers when porch pirates strike. That’s why we have notification and tracking technology integrated into our delivery process, in addition to several package delivery options, to help customers stay aware of when their packages arrive. We pride ourselves on great customer service, and we encourage anyone who believes they’ve been a victim of package theft to reach out to our 24/7 Customer Service team for assistance,” Amazon spokesperson, Alisa Carroll said.
For more tips on how to prevent porch pirates from stealing holiday cheer, click here.
Watch more local news:
Watch the latest local news from the Twin Cities and across Minnesota in our YouTube playlist:
WATCH MORE ON KARE 11+
Download the free KARE 11+ app for Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV and other smart TV platforms to watch more from KARE 11 anytime! The KARE 11+ app includes live streams of all of KARE 11's newscasts. You'll also find on-demand replays of newscasts; the latest from KARE 11 Investigates, Breaking the News and the Land of 10,000 Stories; exclusive programs like Verify and HeartThreads; and Minnesota sports talk from our partners at Locked On Minnesota.
- Add KARE 11+ on Roku here or by searching for KARE 11 in the Roku Channel Store.
- Add KARE 11+ on Fire TV here or by searching for KARE 11 in the Amazon App Store.
- Learn more about the KARE 11+ app for Apple TV in the Apple App Store.
- Learn more about KARE 11+ here.