Michelle Kim

Identity Thief Accidentally Ships Smartphones to Victim's Home, Then Tries to Pick Them Up Himself: NYPD

What to Know

  • An alleged identity thief ordered $2,000 worth of electronics and accidentally sent it to the victim's house on Staten Island
  • When he realized his mistake, he went to the house and concocted stories to try to persuade the victim to turn over the phones
  • The victim didn't buy it, and the suspect ran off; police are now looking for him

Police are looking for an alleged identity thief who they say used a stolen credit card, posed as a FedEx delivery worker and even used a fake name -- all to try and steal two smartphones on Staten Island. 

But the suspect's scheme failed, and even worse, detectives say, he was caught on the house doorbell camera. 

Police said the thief used a stolen credit card to buy more than $2,000 worth of electronics: two Galaxy Plus phones, plus phone cases, charges and screen protectors. But he made one big mistake: he had the phones shipped to the victim's home on Staten Island. 

The suspect then rang the victim's doorbell and claimed he was the FedEx delivery guy there to pick up a package that was sent there by accident. But the victim didn't buy the story.

The suspect then tried to claim the whole thing was a misunderstanding and that it was actually his package, and it had just been sent to the victim because they have the exact same name. The homeowner didn't call for that, either. 

The alleged ID thief ran off, leaving the phones behind.

The NYPD says the fake FedEx worker took off in an older Honda. Anyone who recognizes him is asked to contact Crime Stoppers at 800-577-TIPS.

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