ATLANTIC BEACH, Fla. – Atlantic Beach police arrested two men who they said are members of a Miami-based identity theft ring that employs quick-hitting porch pirate tactics to pick up fraudulent credit cards.
Alvaro Acosta, 28, and Obed Cardoza, 21, were arrested Friday after a stake-out in the Ocean Walk area.
According to an arrest report, one resident saw on his surveillance video system that a package delivered by FedEx was stolen from his front porch two minutes after it was delivered.
The man told police he hadn’t been expecting any packages. The next day, according to police, the man got a call about fraudulent activity on a credit card that had been activated in his name, and $11,000 had already been charged on the card.
Police said they learned that three more packages from the same credit card company were to be delivered, so they set up the stake-out and when Acosta and Cardoza grabbed another package, they were busted.
Cardoza bonded out of jail but when he went to pick up his impounded SUV Tuesday, he was arrested again on charges of ID theft and credit card fraud. Atlantic Beach police said they processed credit card receipts found in the SUV, leading to the additional charges.
The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office is investigating at least one similar case in which surveillance video shows a third suspect.
According to Florida Department of Corrections records, Acosta is on probation from Miami-Dade County for ID theft and grand theft.
FedEx sent News4Jax the following statement:
"All year long, FedEx works with our drivers to be aware of their surroundings and report any unusual activities.
"While we do our utmost to ensure the safe and secure delivery of every package, there are steps our customers can take for added peace of mind:
- Consider an alternate destination. When you order something online, consider sending the package to a family member, friend or neighbor who is home during the day to accept delivery.
- Send it to your nearest FedEx Retail location. You can have your deliveries sent to the nearest FedEx Retail location, and we’ll hold it for you for up to five business days. FedEx provides this service at no added cost. Find the location nearest you at fedex.com/locate.
- Request a signature. Many packages today are sent without requiring a signature for delivery. If you’re shipping something of high value -- or you just want to be sure items aren’t left unattended -- you can require a signature for packages to be released. Only the shipper can make this request.
- Sign up for FedEx Delivery Manager, which gives customers more control to customize home deliveries to fit their schedules. Sign up is free at fedex.com/delivery. With FedEx Delivery Manager, a customer has the following options:
o Request to hold your delivery for pickup at a FedEx location.
o Request special delivery instructions for the delivery driver such as leaving your package at the back door or a side door.
o Reschedule your delivery time.
o Request to reroute your package to deliver to another location.
o Sign for a package remotely.
o Request a vacation hold. Taking a holiday trip to visit family or friends? You can request a vacation hold on all shipments for up to 14 days.
o Receive a delivery notification.
"Any customer who suspects that a package has been stolen should contact police. We encourage our customers to sign up for FedEx Delivery Manager to help manage their deliveries. Sign up is free at fedex.com/delivery.
"If a customer is concerned about the security of a package, we encourage them to contact us at 1-800-GO FEDEX."