A Sydney woman has declared war on an alleged package thief operating within her apartment building, vowing to set an elaborate “dummy trap” to unmask the culprit.
Chantelle Castro, a local makeup artist, returned home recently from a five-week European holiday to a disheartening discovery: numerous work-related deliveries, confirmed as delivered, were nowhere to be found.
Convinced an opportunist within her secure building was responsible, Castro took to TikTok, with her now-viral video sparking a national conversation about parcel security.
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“There is a thief in my apartment complex and I am going to figure out who it is,” Castro asserted in her video.
“I 100 per cent know it’s someone who lives in this complex, because a normal person, just someone on the street just can’t come into the foyer. You need a key, it’s a special access.”
Castro alleges the thief likely observed her packages accumulating, knowing she was away.
Chantelle Castro, a makeup artist in Sydney, took to social media to reveal she has been missing a number of deliveries since returning home from overseas. Photo: TikTok/ChantelleCastro
Her attempts to seek assistance from her strata management were, she claims, met with an unwillingness to help, leaving her feeling she had “no choice but to take matters into my own hands.”
Her audacious plan now involves strategically placing a mini camera in the building’s foyer, accompanied by a decoy parcel.
Anticipating privacy concerns, Castro was quick to address potential criticism.
“Before you say in the comments, I’m not allowed to be recording people without their permission, well, they’re not allowed to be stealing my packages. Let’s start there,” she stated, reflecting the exasperation of many.
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Chantelle received delivery notifications while she was away. Photo: TikTok/ChantelleCastro
The comments section of her video quickly filled with theories and shared experiences.
“Had the same thing happen to us in Sydney and would also go through the letter boxes of everyone too,” one person wrote.
“Building management tried showing us photos. We later found out it is not a resident and a master key was stolen. (Building management) did not change any locks so we moved.”
Navigating security and privacy in strata living
For apartment residents considering similar surveillance measures, understanding the legal landscape is paramount.
Generally, installing security cameras on one’s own residential property for personal security does not require council approval or a neighbour’s permission.
The federal Privacy Act 1988 typically does not apply to individuals using cameras for personal or domestic purposes, meaning recording your own property is permissible.
However, stricter rules apply when cameras face shared spaces within a strata complex, such as hallways, lifts, or car parks.
She now plans to find the thieve with a hidden camera. Photo: TikTok/ChantelleCastro
In such instances, approval from the Owners Corporation (strata committee) is usually required.
Strata by-laws often regulate the installation and use of CCTV in common areas, and cameras must not be placed in private areas within these shared spaces.
It’s also crucial to remember that laws regarding audio recording are significantly stricter across Australian states and territories, generally prohibiting the recording of private conversations without the consent of all parties involved.
