Is the UPS Man at Your Door a Terrorist? Don't Fall for It!

By its own admission, the LAPD has been caught with its pants down—the nation’s third-largest municipal police force has fallen victim to a hoax.

On April 29, the LAPD sent out an alert to the public to beware of the possibility of phony UPS drivers showing up at people’s doors. “There has been a huge purchase, $32,000 worth, of United Parcel Service (UPS) uniforms on eBay over the last 30 days,” the alert said, adding: “This could represent a serious threat as bogus drivers (terrorists) can drop off anything to anyone with deadly consequences!"

The warning went further: "Additionally, if someone in a UPS uniform comes to make a drop off or pick up, make absolutely sure they are driving a UPS truck. UPS doesn't make deliveries or pickups in anything, except a company vehicle. If you have a problem, call your local law enforcement agency right away!”

The alert turned out to be a hoax that was first picked up by a police agency in Southern California, according to Sgt. Rudolph Valadez of the LAPD’s West Valley division. The alert was signed by the U.S.Department of Homeland Security, Bureau Customs and Border Protection, with a link to the following LAPD website: https://local.nixle.com/alert/4685215/?sub_id=312891.

“We basically put out false information and we realized within an hour that it was a hoax,” Valadez said, adding: “But this thing [the alert] spread its wings and went out across the country—we’ve been getting calls and emails ever since.”

Hardly surprising, given that the three-paragraph alert ended with this appeal: “TAKE THIS SERIOUSLY! Tell everyone in your office, your family, your friends, etc. Make people aware so that we can prepare and/or avoid terrorist attacks on our people! Thank you for your time in reviewing this and PLEASE send to EVERYONE on your list, even if they are friend or foe. We should all be aware!”

The LAPD, said Valadez, “apologizes for the misinformation.”