"He's trying to look legit": Burnaby porch pirate swipes $250 Christmas package
A woman in Burnaby is speaking out after a porch pirate pretending to be a delivery worker swiped a $250 Sephora package from her doorstep.
Sharon Bhandal ordered the cosmetic items to give as Christmas gifts and was shocked to see her security camera capture a man stealing them on December 18.
“He’s trying to look legit, but he’s not. He’s carrying another stolen package in his right arm, and then he goes up to my porch… pretending to scan it with his phone,” Bhandal said.
The man wore a baseball cap obscuring his face, but Bhandal still decided to report the incident to Burnaby RCMP. She doesn’t want the thief to think he can get away with doing something similar in the future.
Now Bhandal is scrambling to replace the gifts before the holidays and her family is making extra sure to lock their doors. She added the theft was an extra punch amid the Canada Post strike — since getting items delivered has already been challenging enough.
“Everyone kind of feels on edge now,” she said. “It’s someone coming into your personal space.”
A Burnaby RCMP confirmed it’s investigating the case and is trying to identify a suspect based on Bhandal’s video. The force also suggested customers worried about package theft take advantage of delivery lockers or ask for a signature upon delivery. Security cameras that are obvious and visible to potential thieves can also be a deterrent.
“The holidays are a time to come together, but every year so-called porch pirates are involved in these types of thefts,” the spokesperson said. “We urge everyone to take as many steps as possible to protect their packages from Christmas Grinches who are always looking for new ways to put your packages under their trees.”
Bhandal luckily received a refund for the stolen package from Sephora, but said she would rather have the gifts as she had planned.
“I don’t know how people aren’t afraid. Like, you’re being videotaped,” she said of the thief’s boldness. “Maybe some people don’t care. I don’t know.”