Caught on camera: Amazon worker takes holiday tip intended for USPS carrier

By Jermont Terry

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    CHICAGO (WBBM) — During this season of giving, we’re seeing some bad behavior.

As CBS 2’s Jermont Terry reported this Christmas Day night, a generous tip for an Irving Park neighborhood mail carrier ended up in the wrong hands.

A winter breeze usually sets off the motion cameras on a family’s porch in Irving Park. But over the weekend, the homeowner couldn’t believe what his security camera caught.

“He didn’t seem to care that there were cameras here, and here,” the homeowner said as he pointed to cameras on either side of his front door.

The “he” in that sentence is an Amazon delivery worker, who came to the house last Saturday to drop off an Amazon package. But the delivery worker also grabbed something attached to the homeowner’s mailbox.

“The envelope was taped at the bottom here, and then it was taped also inside,” the homeowner said.

Was there a possibility that the Amazon worker thought the envelope was actually for him?

“Well it said ‘Alma,’ which was the mail carrier’s name. I’m guessing he probably didn’t go by ‘Alma,'” said the homeowner. “And it said ‘USPS’ underneath it very bright, and it was taped to a mailbox. So if it was for Amazon, I would have put that it was an Amazon letter. I don’t get a consistent Amazon carrier here.”

Inside the clearly-marked envelope was $60 for the United States Postal Service mail carrier – something the homeowner has left plenty of times over the years.

“I called that morning to make sure she was working. The person on the phone verified that she was, in fact, working that day,” the homeowner said. “I stuck it on the mailbox, and just wanted to make sure she was taken care of.”

Yet the Amazon worker decided to take what wasn’t meant for him.

The video was shared with Amazon, which refunded the money. But the homeowner is considering calling police.

“I could call Postal Service and file a beef with them – and then it becomes a federal offense,” said the homeowner. “I don’t know if the guy really wants it to go that far.”

The homeowner doesn’t want it to go that far either.

“I don’t want to ruin the guy’s life,” he said. “I hope he won’t be Grinch again.”

And when it comes to showing appreciation to your mail carrier, it is recommended that you hand it off in person.

“I’m actually going to try to find her tomorrow or Thursday and catch up with her,” said the homeowner, adding that this time, he will not leave the tip on the mailbox.

The homeowner said Amazon also told him the company would discipline the delivery driver.

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