Oakland robbers are now masquerading as Amazon delivery drivers

On Thursday, the Oakland Police Department sent out an alert about a “splash of burglaries involving individuals disguised as Amazon workers” who ring a bell to see if you’re home and then storm right in.

A disturbing and violent new heist strategy emerges in Oakland, and the Oakland Police Department is sounding the alarm. According to the Bay City News, there has been “a spike in residential thefts with suspects masquerading as Amazon workers,” a trend described Thursday in a statement from the Oakland Police Department.

“The Oakland Police Department (OPD) has recorded a spike in burglaries with those involved disguising themselves as Amazon workers,” the department said in a Facebook post Thursday. “In some cases, people wearing Amazon delivery driver vests walk up to a house and ring the doorbell to determine if the place is occupied or not. Then people broke into the house, took a few things, and then left the area in a car.”

The department did not say exactly where these incidents occurred (and there may be a strategic reason for this). But they said that “OPD commanders have begun sending additional officers to areas of the city where burglaries have increased.”

They also announced a set of recommendations for home safety; lock doors and windows, leave lights on to make the space look occupied, and keep mail from piling up. This indicates that burglars break into the premises if they come to the conclusion that no one is home. The department also recommends purchasing a doorbell camera, although law enforcement may have other reasons to love them.

Any Oakland resident who observes suspicious activity by the delivery driver is advised to “call OPD Emergency Services at (510) 777-3333 to report suspicious individuals.”

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Image: @dmackdaddy via twitter