As many prepare to send and receive holiday packages, one Southern California man is urging residents to exercise caution after he had an expensive package intercepted right outside his front door.
On Nov. 14, John Shin, a Lawndale resident, was tracking his shipment of an expensive laptop when he was notified it had been delivered. Apparently, he wasn’t the only one tracking his package.
When Shin went to check the front of his home near the intersection of Prairie Avenue and Manhattan Beach Boulevard, the package was nowhere to be found.
Shin told KTLA’s Kimberly Cheng that he saw the UPS driver and followed him down the street to stop and ask him about the missing package.
“And he said, ‘Well some guy showed me his ID,’” Shin explained.
Sure enough, Shin later found footage of the exchange. The video shows a stranger stopping the UPS driver as he steps out of the truck with Shin’s package. The man shows the driver something on his phone, possibly a fake ID, and then is handed the delivery.
Surveillance footage captures a suspected package thief showing delivery people possible fake IDs and then making off with expensive laptops in Southern California. November 2024. (Viewer photo) Surveillance footage captures a suspected package thief showing delivery people possible fake IDs and then making off with expensive laptops in Southern California. November 2024. (Viewer photo) Surveillance footage captures a suspected package thief showing delivery people possible fake IDs and then making off with expensive laptops in Southern California. November 2024. (Viewer photo) Surveillance footage captures a suspected package thief showing delivery people possible fake IDs and then making off with expensive laptops in Southern California. November 2024. (Viewer photo) Surveillance footage captures a suspected package thief showing delivery people possible fake IDs and then making off with expensive laptops in Southern California. November 2024. (Irvine Police) 
Surveillance footage captures a suspected package thief showing delivery people possible fake IDs and then making off with expensive laptops in Southern California. November 2024. (Viewer photo)
“This guy’s got a criminal mind,” said Shin. “And, obviously, he had some insider information, where he knows that this package had a laptop in there.”
A few days after this incident, Irvine police issued a public alert with a video of a man who they believe is the same suspect intercepting a package with a MacBook Pro inside.
The video, taken on Nov. 18, shows a man with glasses and a beard wearing the same black pants and white shirt. He goes through the same pattern, showing the delivery driver a possible fake ID and then getting away with the package.
Shin is convinced it’s the same person.
“It’s already been reported to the retailer and the credit card company, I did an online FBI report – UPS wasn’t much help,” said Shin. “I contacted them and they said, ‘Well, we delivered the package.’”
Since many are expecting deliveries over the holidays, Shin said he wants to warn others to think twice about having expensive items shipped to their home.
“If you’re getting a high-value package delivered to your house, maybe you could just get it delivered to a UPS station or a FedEx location, or just pick it up directly from the store,” advised Shin. “It’s just safer.”
KTLA reached out to UPS representatives, who said they wouldn’t comment on the incidents but said customers can ship directly to a UPS store, or sign up to receive an email alert that lets them know when their package is scheduled to be delivered — which is what Shin said he did.
Shin says he is trying to get the item reimbursed, and the process is currently pending.
Police did not immediately release an identity for the suspect they believe to be involved in both cases.