from the ♪I've-been-caught-stealing-once-when-I-was-5♪ dept.
Submitted via IRC for SoyCow1984
Amazon uses fake packages to catch delivery drivers who are stealing, according to sources with knowledge of the practice.
The company plants the packages — internally referred to as "dummy" packages — in the trucks of drivers at random. The dummy packages have fake labels and are often empty.
[...] During deliveries, drivers scan the labels of every package they deliver. When they scan a fake label on a dummy package, an error message will pop up.
When this happens, drivers might call their supervisors to address the problem, or keep the package in their truck and return it to an Amazon warehouse at the end of their shift.
Drivers, in theory, could also choose to steal the package. The error message means the package isn't detected in Amazon's system. As a result, it could go unnoticed if the package were to go missing.
"If you bring the package back, you are innocent. If you don't, you're a thug," said Sid Shah, a former manager for DeliverOL, a courier company that delivers packages for Amazon.
Source: https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-sets-traps-for-drivers-2018-9
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Submitted via IRC for SoyCow1984
How Amazon Helped Cops Set Up a Package Theft Sting Operation
In response to Amazon packages being stolen from people's doorsteps, police departments around the country have set up sting operations that use fake packages bugged with GPS trackers to find and arrest people who steal packages. Internal emails and documents obtained by Motherboard via a public records request show how Amazon and one police department partnered to set up one of these operations.
The documents obtained by Motherboard—which include an operations plan and internal emails between Amazon and the Hayward, California Police Department—show that Amazon's "national package theft team" made several calls to the Hayward Police Department and sent the department packages, tape, and stickers that allowed the department to set up a "porch pirate" operation in November and December of 2018. The documents also reveal that the bait Amazon packages included real-time location-tracking devices in order to surveil and track anyone who stole a package.
According to an "Operation Plan" obtained by Motherboard, the Hayward Police Department referred to the porch pirate operation as "Operation 'Safe Porch,'" and it lasted from November 12 to December 17, 2018. The document describes package theft in Hayward as a "significant problem" during the holiday season, and it characterizes Operation Safe Porch as a way to "arrest/prosecute those individuals committing this criminal activity."
"The operation will emphasize a pro-active approach in the suppression of this criminal activity and with the use of 'bait' packages affixed with GPS tracking devices, Surveillance and Covert Operations, Probation/Parole Searches and potentially Search Warrants," the document reads.
The document claims that the Hayward Police Department Criminal Investigations Bureau, units form the Hayward Special Investigations Bureau, and Hayward Crime Analysis all assisted with Operation Safe Porch. It also notes that the program was run four days a week, for 10 hours per day, and outlined the GPS, radio, and vehicles that were used in the program (including "an assigned undercover vehicle for surveillance and covert operations.")
Related: Amazon Plants Fake Packages in Delivery Trucks to 'Trap' Drivers Who Are Stealing
Jersey City PD, Amazon work together to catch package thieves
Hacker Makes a Flawless Booby Trap, Strikes Back Against Package Thieves
(Score: 2) by JoeMerchant on Friday September 21 2018, @03:40PM (5 children)
My first day working a register drawer, the cash count came back $4.87 high. I do not remember shorting anyone $5, manager: "this is serious stuff, you need to get that count exactly right, every time." Me, thinking to myself: "can you be more obvious with your test? You took over my drawer for 10 minutes while you sent me out back on a busywork errand..."
🌻🌻 [google.com]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday September 21 2018, @04:51PM (2 children)
You wouldn't remember having messed it up. If you remember it, you'd probably not have made the mistake. I used to manage a cash drawer at a previous job and it's easy to accidentally slip somebody the wrong change if you're not careful about it. Sure, it could be that the till got messed up during those 5 minutes, which is why they can't make you pay for any shortages during that time. But, most likely you did make a mistake at some point.
I rarely made mistakes, I think over the course of the time I was doing it, I was off by maybe $10 total, and I didn't have a cash register tallying up the totals and it was cash only.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday September 21 2018, @08:44PM (1 child)
Off by 10 in total delta (sum(abs(delta))) or off by 10 in total (sum(deltas))?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday September 22 2018, @05:00AM
It's total, and I don't think I was ever off by more than $3 on any given day. The point though is that, you're not going to know where the mistake was made, if you did, then you probably wouldn't have made the mistake in the first place.
(Score: 2) by MostCynical on Friday September 21 2018, @10:15PM (1 child)
Every change of operator should come with a reconciliation- cash in drawer, register print report.
At larger places, the cash drawer is swapped out, the report is clipped on top, walked to the office closed* (sometimes with a manager or cash supervisor) and the back office staff get the drawer to count. That way, every checkout operator is responsible for their shift, and no one else can tamper with the money.
*better registers have electronic locks, so the drawer only opens in the till, or in the cash office
Mistakes still happen, but at least you know who needs more training or supervision.
"I guess once you start doubting, there's no end to it." -Batou, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex
(Score: 2) by JoeMerchant on Saturday September 22 2018, @07:09PM
It was the manager who specifically sent me away from my drawer out of sight of her for a few minutes while she "covered it for me" - something I'd almost never seen her do.
Also, when nobody else handled my drawer for me, the cash balanced perfectly every time - simple honesty test.
🌻🌻 [google.com]
(Score: 2) by Kilo110 on Friday September 21 2018, @03:41PM (1 child)
I've had my package stolen by someone in UPS's or Amazon's chain.
Happened about a month ago. Got the box directly from UPS guy (never was waiting outside on porch). I opened it up and my items were taken out and the box was resealed from the bottom with generic clear packing tape.
Had to file a police report before amazon agreed to give me a refund and took almost two weeks.
(Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Friday September 21 2018, @05:11PM
I'd contact the credit card issuer and see what they have to say if Amazon refuses to issue the refund in cases like that. The CC company might also want a police report, but it's amazing how company's attitudes towards these things change when facing the possibility of a charge back.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday September 21 2018, @03:49PM (6 children)
Now if only a courier would allow me to select the day they first try to deliver, and heaven forbid a TIME, so they don't drop by on a random day at a random time when I am not home.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday September 21 2018, @04:15PM (2 children)
When they do drone delivery this will be possible.
(Score: 2) by DannyB on Friday September 21 2018, @05:22PM
It will also be possible when Amazon does Star Trek transporter style delivery.
But will it be possible before then?
The lower I set my standards the more accomplishments I have.
(Score: 2) by VLM on Friday September 21 2018, @05:23PM
The problem with drone delivery is they already have warehouse employees dropping off boxes on their way home, and Ford/Toyota/GM and the medical industrial complex already did all the R+D at zero cost to Amazon, whereas drones are expensive to invent.
If you want your hello kitty tee shirt delivered at precisely 10:30am they just gotta send the warehouse guy out with it at 10am, no big deal, much cheaper than inventing shark robots with lasers on their heads or whatever.
(Score: 2) by VLM on Friday September 21 2018, @05:07PM (2 children)
I haven't tried locker delivery because I work at home, mostly, but its available every time I check out. I think from what I read, locker delivery is what you're asking for.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday September 21 2018, @05:16PM (1 child)
Lockers are somewhat limited in size and number and location. But, yeah, that's what I usually do. In urban areas there's also sometimes a drop off point that you can visit where they transfer the packages from Amazon to those independent contractors that deliver the packages at weird times.
Amazon is also adding the ability to have things delivered directly to peoples' cars, but that kind of scares me personally.
(Score: 2) by VLM on Friday September 21 2018, @05:40PM
I'm waiting for them to deeply integrate with other companies logistics systems; Oh you're sending interoffice mail to VLM, well a package will arrive at your front desk in five minutes for him, toss it in the envelope with the interoffice mail and we'll send your company a millionth of a bitcoin microtransaction. I mean, if big brother is watching, may as well save a buck on shipping. "Hey did you get that prototype engineering wanted you to test the I2C interface on? Sure, right, you mean the dragon dildo, like I don't even have a datasheet? Naw thats your amazon order, have fun with that, I mean the microwave synthesizer. Oh, oh yeah, got that along with the new TPS report headers, K thx bye."
I'm intrigued by the idea of Amazon merging up with the logistics system of my local regional supermarket; "they" as in big brother track my every move and know I shop most mondays but can predict based on my register tape last time that I'm going to be there on Tuesday so here's some stuff to toss in the shipment of avocados that he can pick up on his Tuesday trip to the store. Because big brother is everywhere watching everything, Big Sister Alexa can page me when I walk in the door, or heck just text me to stop at the front desk for my shipment.
When Big Brother gets optimized things are going to get really weird . Electronic interstate sign flashes at me "Yo, VLM, stop your car and stand by the side of the overpass, a truck driver is going to toss a package out the window at you in 23 seconds, we'll tell you where to stand to catch it, then approximately 72 seconds later you drop it over the side of the overpass into the passing pickup truck when we say." Or I'll get a text from Alexa, "hey hey big boy, a box is about to land in your front yard right next to the wilting violets seven feet in from the sidewalk based on inertial measurement unit, meteorological predictions, and existing flight path data, for five cents of mechanical turk credit please pick that up and slingshot it as hard as you can in the general direction of north where someone else will pass it along K thanks" And people will see this kind of bullshit as business as usual.
(Score: 4, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Friday September 21 2018, @03:50PM
Well I, for one, am shocked that Amazon traps have unexpected packages.
(Score: 2) by YeaWhatevs on Friday September 21 2018, @04:09PM (2 children)
And this scare tactic news story was all they ever did to address the issue.
(Score: 2) by bob_super on Friday September 21 2018, @04:32PM
Do it only a few times, but make sure that absolutely everyone knows it could happen anytime.
SOP in quality control.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday September 21 2018, @05:24PM
Well, this is cheaper than properly addressing the issue. Sort of like the ambulances that Amazon pays to be at the warehouses rather than pay for AC during the summer.
Paying the delivery drivers more money and then doing a better job of screening them would probably do a fair amount to address the problem. But, ultimately, with porch pirates being a thing, there's really only so much you can do.
(Score: 2) by VLM on Friday September 21 2018, @05:15PM (1 child)
Recently they've also started including pictures of my deliveries. My flowers look awful. That doesn't really prove they didn't put the package in place, take pix, THEN steal the package, but I guess it does rule out that the package at least made it thru the logistics chain to reach my house at least momentarily. So the dude at the warehouse didn't steal it, regardless of whatever else the driver may or may not have done.
In that way I wonder if they're trying to indirectly verify some other portion of the logistics chain. Maybe its the managers back at the warehouse who are stealing returned packages and trying to catch them with this honeypot is the real story.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday September 21 2018, @06:56PM
"Maybe its the managers back at the warehouse who are stealing returned packages and trying to catch them with this honeypot is the real story."
Well, this story was broke by a former manager for DeliverOL so who knows.
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Friday September 21 2018, @07:31PM (4 children)
Don't use Amazon (reasons).
I've come to like ordering online from Walmart with free ship-to-store (conveniently, less than a mile away). Walk in the door, the online pickup is right in front. Scan the bar code from the email and someone walks out of the storage room with my box in a minute or two (most of the time). They have a box cutter, we open the package on the spot and I either thank them and walk out with my purchase, or return on the spot for credit (and then thank them).
No, I'm not a walmart employee...and I used to hate them. But now that they've mostly "won" over our local stores I've given in.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by bzipitidoo on Friday September 21 2018, @07:54PM (2 children)
Wal-Mart isn't glitch free either, of course. Last time we got a package that way, the Wal-Mart employee refused to let me have our package. Said my name was not on their list. She obviously didn't want to check any further, was not bothered by or seemingly cognizant of the question of how could I even know about the package unless we ordered it, and would have sent me on my way without. I demanded to speak to a manager. Very quickly the manager showed her that my name was in fact on their list, on the next line down. She didn't apologize or anything just said "oh".
(Score: 3, Informative) by Alfred on Friday September 21 2018, @08:32PM (1 child)
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday September 22 2018, @02:36AM
I think it requires projectiles through two lobes of your brain.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday September 24 2018, @03:31AM
Suggesting that the solution to the problem of your purchasing dollars supporting a vicious, serf-abusing, public-teat sucking corporation like Amazon is buying crap from Walmart is Olympic grade cognitive dissonance.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by MichaelDavidCrawford on Friday September 21 2018, @08:01PM
I couldn't just pick it up at work they had to ship it to me.
After a couple weeks I called to inquire. No, nobody knows where it is.
Eventually a UPS driver turned up, asked if I'd seen it. No.
After about a month they sent a second Power Mac $$$$8500, which I did receive.
From time to time a UPS driver would come by to ask if I'd ever seen it.
Yes I Have No Bananas. [gofundme.com]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday September 22 2018, @07:09AM
And since they are in charge of finding criminals, they will never be found.