"You really don't know what anyone is capable of.”
National headlines have come to an unduly targeted touchstone of Long Island suburbia once again, thanks to the annually infuriating “porch pirate” infestation.
Naturally, with the arrival of the holidays comes shopping sprees galore. Consequently: petty criminal activity in the online commerce sector also experiences a back-loaded surge. In the age of the world wide web, in-store bystanders are not as susceptible to schemes reminiscent of half-baked performance artistry as one is upon their unwitting front porch step.
The Bernhard’s of Massapequa Park were minding their own business on Nov. 13th. The mother of homeowner Erica Bernhard happened to be right there to bear witness to a stranger emerging from completely out of the blue to swipe a package just after it had been delivered.
The uninvited guest did not anticipate the whole family would burst out of the Atlantic Avenue home and chase after him until he was forced to speed off—though without the package in tow.
But that is exactly what happened.
Shortly after the investigation commenced, Nassau County police quickly deduced that hackers had grabbed hold of Erica’s Bloomingdale’s account through her password and ordered a flurry of items to the Bernhard household.
One of the modern-day wet bandit-wannabees cased the arrival of the UPS delivery truck to a tee, but underestimated both his victims’ collective resiliency-- not to mention, the doorbell camera revolution as well.
Porch-set surveillance footage documents the entirety of the incident, meaning porch pirates have nowhere to run for long.
Nevertheless, the seasonal epidemic marches on, with all online shoppers forced to ask: “What are we doing wrong?”
"This was a scam. Somebody ordered it, we did not order it, and then out of the corner of my eye, here comes the guy," father Glenn Bernhard said. “It was mayhem.”
A cyber-scam of this ilk is a timely reminder for gift purchasers everywhere to be weary of protecting their information, especially during the mad dash rush of Black Friday to Cyber Monday shopping.
In the aftermath of the Bernhard situation, Nassau County detectives advise families to keep an active look at their online activity, and to not use the same, predictable passwords across various different accounts.
Civilian shoppers are not the only ones susceptible to such digitally-based subterfuge.
The Suffolk County offices’ online network was infamously hacked in 2022. Warning signs missed by the previous regime under former County Executive Steve Bellone were swiftly prioritized through related reform efforts—like cybersecurity insurance application filings and $4 million budget proposals listing cybersecurity at the forefront—headed by his successor, Ed Romaine.
“This fiscally responsible budget addresses the critical needs of our county and ensures the safer and more affordable Suffolk that all residents deserve,” Romaine said in a statement back in October.
The people of Nassau deserve said safety too. People everywhere do.
"You really don't know what anyone is capable of,” Erica Bernhard told media outlets enmeshed in covering her family’s ultra-preventable thrust into the mass spotlight.
So when you are buying that bundle of Under Armour apparel for the younger cousin you drew in this year’s Secret Santa, commit the athletic wear company’s “Protect this House” mantra to memory—just like the Bernhard’s did without even realizing it.
Do so in more ways than one, and you will be as golden as the long-term “success” for a porch pirate is not.