Residents at a condominium building Chicago’s West Town neighborhood have been dealing with a serious mail and package theft problem in recent days.
“I recognized my package right away from the video, but it was very organized,” said theft victim Agustin Lorenzo. “Clearly, these guys knew what they were doing. They’ve done it before.”
Surveillance video from early Sunday morning showed four thieves with shopping bags make their way into the building then head straight to the mail room.
“My package was actually something pretty nice; I was disappointed to have it stolen,” he said. “We hate to see these things happen in the neighborhood, hoping something gets done.”
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The thieves can be seen stuffing their bags with packages before turning their attention to the mailboxes and unlocking the boxes using a universal mail key.
“I don’t think it's someone in our building, but I definitely think it's someone in the area,” said theft victim Andrew Pickens. “It was a white Lincoln in one of the videos, and I definitely seen that car around.”
Pickens said three of his packages were stolen, including a sentimental gift for his grandmother.
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Pickens said he has had enough.
“There’s a shooting last week and now there’s a robbery at our building,” he said. “What’s going on?”
Building management told NBC Chicago off camera that investigators believe the thieves were two men and two women. Some of them donned wigs, sunglasses and bandanas in an apparent effort to disguise themselves.
It's believed that some of the thieves were those who struck the building in March.
“The first group was two people and then they found out some good stuff and then they brought four people,” said Pickens.
Chicago police and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service said they were investigating. It’s unclear if this crew was connected to other mail thefts in the area.
“Crime shouldn’t be happening like this,” said Pickens. “The mayor needs to focus on crime more that should be the number one priority.”
The U.S. Postal Inspection provided these safety tips to NBC Chicago:
- Do not let incoming or outgoing mail sit and accumulate in your mailbox.
- Promptly remove mail from your mailbox after delivery, especially if you’re expecting checks, credit cards, or other negotiable items.
- If you do not receive a check or other valuable mail, contact the issuing party as soon as possible.
- Sign up for USPS Informed Delivery to have a better idea of what mail you can expect delivered to you each day.
- Monitor your financial accounts and credit profiles for any fraudulent activity, even if you are not a victim of mail theft. Early detection is so important! In that vein, consider credit freezes with the three major credit bureaus (Experian, TransUnion, Equifax).
If you find yourself a victim of mail theft or identity theft as a result of mail theft, you’re urged to file a report with police and a report with the Postal Inspection Service at 877-876-2455.
