LOS ANGELES (KTLA) — Mysterious food deliveries are showing up in a Highland Park neighborhood, with residents receiving lattes, burgers and other food they never ordered or purchased.
The neighborhood is no stranger to the phenomenon, however, having been bombarded with random deliveries back in March before a slight pause.
Now residents say the unsolicited deliveries are showing up at their doorsteps once again. Oftentimes, the names on the orders don’t match anyone at the residence. Some recipients don’t even have Uber Eats accounts.
“It’s five McDonald’s orders, one a day, with a little kids-sized milk in them,” Richie Kulchar said of the deliveries he’s been receiving.
Kulchar lives on Avenue 50 where food orders are coming in daily for him. His home security camera captured drivers delivering to his home every day last week, with orders being dropped throughout all hours of the day.
Kulchar said the first time random orders began showing up at his home was in February. Lasting all through March, he eventually experienced a reprieve from the phantom deliveries, but not for long.
Kulchar said he mainly received items from Starbucks in March. At one point, he received 13 orders over a two-day span.
Kulchar shared a photo of Starbucks delivery bags taking over his kitchen counter. He eventually placed a sign on his door telling Uber Eats not to deliver anything to his doorstep. He said that appeared to stop the food for a while until late May.
“Nobody knows why, and it’s half funny and half really annoying,” said Kulchar.
Just around the block from Kulchar lives Caroline Aguirre, who was also bombarded with random food deliveries. After a short pause, she also began receiving them again in June.
“Both of them were french fries from Colonel Sanders,” said Aguirre.
When asked about their theories behind the relentless deliveries, Aguirre said, “I think it’s publicity for Uber Eats.”
Kulchar however, believes it’s credit card fraud.
“I think it’s low-grade criminals trying to scam credit cards and see if they work,” he said.
Uber is aware of the situation and responded by saying:
“The reports of unsolicited deliveries are concerning. We have banned accounts related to recent orders in Highland Park and continue to take action. Uber has a dedicated public safety team that is standing by to work with police.”
Uber told KTLA it is investigating the deliveries, but so far, it does not believe it’s a phishing scam. The company also confirmed the deliveries are not a publicity stunt.