Christmas warning: Woman catches parcel thief redhanded with decoy package

A Perth woman has caught a mail thief red-handed after they drove up to her front door on a motorbike and snatched a parcel from the entry way. 

Crysti-Lei Arnold was left furious when she saw on her home security camera that someone had been stealing Christmas parcels from her front door, so she devised a plan to catch them in the act by leaving a fake parcel out front when she was home at the weekend. 

Arnold sneakily put out a decoy box full of bricks and it didn’t take long until someone showed up to snatch it. CCTV footage shows a motorcyclist boldly riding up to her doorstep before taking off with the box under their arm. As the driver made a quick escape, Arnold opened her door, and can be seen yelling at the rider.

Arnold shared footage of the interaction on her Facebook page as a warning to others. 

“So after last weeks theft, we put out a decoy box, full of bricks. Some d**k brain just stole it,” she said. 

People were quick to comment, with one writing: “This is hilarious! What a low life. Hope you can get the number plate too.”

Another added: “Oh my god!!! Bloody thieves make my blood boil.”

Sadly the festive season is prime time for thieves to nab Christmas packages left at people’s front doors when they’re not home. In 2016, 11 million Aussies had parcels stolen from their homes with most thefts happening when people are at work for the day.  

To keep mail safe, it’s prudent to have mail held at the post office or collected by a friend if you know you aren’t going to be home during delivery hours. You can also sign up for Australia Post’s free MyPost Deliveries service and have parcels sent to a 24/7 parcel locker or a post office that’s in a convenient location for you. 

For those who want to take extra precautions, NSW Police suggest installing a lockable mailbox and never allowing your mailbox to become full or overflow as this makes it easier for thieves to get their hands on your private information. 

“In the wrong hands some of this information can be used to create false identifications and used for crime,” NSW Police advises. “This type of crime costs millions of dollars each year and can have devastating consequences for your financial reputation.”

For those who want to keep their houses extra safe and deter prospective thieves snatching mail or breaking into their homes, there’s also an array of high-tech devices, apps and gadgets out there designed to keep your property safe.

One of the most popular is the ‘smart’ doorbell system, which links to an app on the homeowner’s smartphone and alerts them when someone is at the door. They can then speak to whoever’s at the door through their phone – as if they were standing behind the door in real life.

If you aren’t able to purchase an expensive security camera, you can pick up a dummy camera for around $20. It will give the impression that your home has a security system, which could deter burglars.

Have you had a parcel stolen before? Do you have security at your home?