With the holidays approaching, personal and home safety concerns associated with package deliveries merit review. Home invaders wearing delivery or utility uniforms and attempting to gain access to homes are becoming more common. A quick review of news reporting shows the tactic was used in multiple documented incidents across the U.S. in 2025 and this continues into 2026. Examples include:
-- An armed home invasion in North Port, Florida (May 2025), in which men posing as Amazon drivers lured a resident to the door, forced entry, stole cash, and held family members at gunpoint
-- Multiple cases in California involving criminals (in some case organized crews) posing as Uber Eats or Amazon/food delivery workers to check occupancy or gain entry before burglaries
-- A string of home invasions in St. Clair County, Michigan linked to a suspect posing as a delivery driver
-- Multiple incidents in places such as Houston, Texas; Savannah, Georgia; Queens, New York; and elsewhere involving similar ruses
In December 2016 a thug dressed as a UPS driver forced his way into a home followed by three other thugs. In the video you can see the robber dressed in a UPS uniform at the door. As soon as the homeowner opens it, the man rushes inside despite the homeowner’s attempts to close the door. Once inside the home, the men assaulted the victim and fired at least one shot which didn't hit anyone.
Two women inside the home grabbed children and hid in a closet. The homeowner had a fractured skull, concussion, lost 6 teeth, needed stitches in his lip, and required 28 staples in his head after the brutal beating. The bad guys stole jewelry and some collectible firearms. For a video of this home invasion as well as a scenario from our Short Range Match based on the incident click here.
There are several key indicators that something is likely amiss:
-- If you are not expecting a package and don't recognize your regular delivery man or woman. Look for the delivery truck in the street if possible -- although it is becoming more common for sub-contracted delivery drivers to use personal or unmarked vehicles, so this is becoming less of an indicator.
-- Insisting on a signature. With the door closed, tell the delivery person to leave the package on your doorstep so you can retrieve it later. If they insist on a signature simply tell the person to leave a proper notice of attempted delivery and that you will pick the package up at the local company office. If they continue to insist or get annoyed, this should be an immediate red flag.
-- More than one “delivery” person. Legitimate delivery companies do not send more than one employee to the door to deliver a package. In the two pictures below, more than one "delivery" person was visible on camera before the victim opened the door--the victims did not bother to look at their cameras.
Reinforce an interior door. You can also use these products to reinforce your interior doors as well. If someone does manage to defeat your exterior door and enters your home, they now have another barrier to deal with. It is unlikely that they will stick around and try to defeat a second door. If they do, having retreated into a safe room increases your chances of survival and builds the foundation of “reasonableness” for your follow-on actions.
Develop a family safety plan. Everyone should think through scenarios such as this now and develop a plan based on your particular circumstances. In my house, someone yelling “SAFE ROOM!” is giving the command for everyone to instantly stop what they are doing and go to a secure bedroom. A reinforced bedroom door with a dead bolt provides a safe room you can retreat to if someone attempts to break and enter. From there you can call 911 and prepare to take other necessary action.
But I live in a good neighborhood you say? Well so do I—many of us live in neighborhoods we would characterize as safe. However, even gated communities have experienced home invasions as criminals follow legitimate residents through the opened gate. Plan now so you will be prepared if the time comes to act.
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