Recycling Theft

bkchickie

This morning I noticed a guy in a van double park in front of a recycling pile on Butler.  He was pulling out specific bags of paper from the pile.  I couldn't see what kinds of paper he was looking for.  Then he heard a trash truck revving on Plaza Street and he hurriedly jammed the rest of his haul into the back of the van and drove off.

This is the second time this summer I've seen this.  The first time I thought it was a guy trying to grab moving boxes (and maybe it was) and I didn't really pay attention to it this morning until I saw the guy run away when he heard the sound of the trash truck.

My husband suggested that maybe he was looking for mail in the bags for identity theft.  If he was, then just a reminder to shred anything with personal information it.

god

Was it a white van? Saw him this morning at around 3am on St Johns Pl. He was grabbing a few bags from our recycling that was on the sidewalk for pick up today. Good thing we shred everything.

bkchickie

Yup, beat-up old white van.  I didn't see him this week (or he's gotten smarter and come earlier to beat the trash trucks.) 

whynot_31

Maybe he is now a bank teller.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/17/nyregion/eric-schneiderman-charges-5-in-identity-theft-ring-linked-to-bank-tellers.html?ref=nyregion&_r=0