They were expecting a parcel, but found only an empty box.
Matthew Bosch was expecting to receive a package in mid-December. His wife is a representative of Creative Memories, which specializes in scrapbooking products. The company offers a plan to sell its products through small get-togethers with friends and parties. For many it’s a fun way to earn some extra bucks through a fun hobby. As a representative, she had ordered about $200 worth of albums and other products, many of which were to be Christmas presents for clients.
Bosch checked his wife’s account on Dec. 18 and knew the package should be arriving at their home in Lake Highlands Village North that day.
“We went to the site and saw that it was confirmed as delivered,” Bosch says. “When we went to go get it on the doorstep, there was a completely empty box from two blocks away.”
Bosch called police, and says a thief had been snatching boxes at homes and leaving the empty box from a previous house so that no one would notice a package was missing.
“Someone had to be running around replacing boxes with empty ones,” he says.
Bosch contacted the person the empty box should have been delivered to. The shipment had been form Amazon. Fortunately, Amazon and Creative Memories both made good on the original orders, Bosch says.
“It’s very cool,” he says of the companies’ efforts to reimburse their products. “But it’s also frustrating someone would do that. You can’t watch your front porch every minute of the day.”
Senior Cpl. Bert Rippy with the Dallas Police Northeast Patrol Division says this crime is common during the holidays and offers some tips to prevent package theft.
“Around the holidays, this type of theft increases due to the amount of packages being delivered and left on porches,” Rippey says.
He recommends requesting signature confirmation on delivery, having packages delivered at work, tracking packages online for exact delivery date, and having a neighbor or friend pick up packages when out of town.
“Leave special instructions for where to deliver the packages,” Rippey adds. “A good place is on the side or back of the house, so that the package cannot be seen by some one walking or driving by in the front of your house.”
