Some of the Amazon glitter bomb video was fake

[midian182]

A hot potato: Earlier this week, a YouTube video created by Mark Rober went viral. The clip showed a booby-trapped Amazon package built by Rober covering thieves in glitter and fart spray after they stole it from front porches. Now, the former NASA engineer has admitted that some of the video was unintentionally fake.

After having an Amazon package stolen from his front porch, Rober decided to fight back against the criminals by designing a booby-trapped box that appeared to contain an Apple HomePod. When opened, the package hurled out a very fine glitter while spraying out fart gas.

The device also contained four smartphones to capture the thieves’ reactions, which were fantastic, but it turns out some people were in on the prank—though that wasn’t part of Rober’s plan.

In addition to leaving the package at his own house, a friend of a friend offered to help Rober by placing the device on their porch for two weeks. Rober said he would offer financial compensation for successful recoveries of the package. But in the two instances where the item was ‘stolen,’ the ‘thieves’ were acquaintances of the person who volunteered to help.

The video has now been edited to remove the two fake reactions from the original five. Although Rober was not at fault, he has apologized profusely on Twitter.

I posted this as a comment response to my recent viral tweet/video but I’m posting it as a new tweet as well: pic.twitter.com/g2VHsQWh1z

— Mark Rober (@MarkRober) December 20, 2018

"I'm really sorry about this," he said. "I am responsible for the content that goes on my channel and I should have done more here. I can vouch that the reactions were genuine when the package was taken from my house. Having said that, I know my credibility is sort of shot."

Check out the edited version of the video below.

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/77974-amazon-glitter-bomb-video-fake.html

 

[Uncle Al]

Fake or not it was a tremendous video. I think the only way to make it better was to incorporate the old Trunk Monkey as part of it!

 

[Cycloid Torus]

Let's do something about about post purchase 'shoplifting'. Reading that the local gendarmes would not pursue the thief saddened me greatly.

I'm looking forward to the home security product that not only films perps but runs them through facial recognition and provides a background search which results in name, address, phone number, prior convictions and current location. Perhaps then the legal system can step in and 'do the job'.

We have to take steps to keep up with China.

 

[gusticles41]

Lol it's okay, man. The video still provides exactly the type of entertainment we want. And from an engineering standpoint this is fantastic.

 

[stewi0001]

Major props for admitting it and fixing it.

 

[p51d007]

I would use SKUNK SPRAY instead of "fart" spray.

 

[fps4ever]

It was still cool. "F" thieves.

 

[Squid Surprise]

Let's do something about about post purchase 'shoplifting'. Reading that the local gendarmes would not pursue the thief saddened me greatly.

I'm looking forward to the home security product that not only films perps but runs them through facial recognition and provides a background search which results in name, address, phone number, prior convictions and current location. Perhaps then the legal system can step in and 'do the job'.

We have to take steps to keep up with China.

Local police don’t care unless the crime is deemed “major”.

I was once in a police station paying a speeding ticket. I took out my wallet to get my license and fill out the forms - when someone walked by and stole my wallet!

The woman beside me told me right away and we watched the guy running out of the room. I told security and they ran the security tape. They had film of him taking it - AND he had just renewed his driver’s license so they knew his name, address, etc.

Did they do anything? Nope!

Fortunately, the man had dumped my wallet in the washroom after taking the cash (like $100 or so). Had it been over $1000, they might have tracked him down...

At least I didn’t have to cancel my credit cards or get new photo ID!

 

[Underdog]

Seems to be a trend. Police not being fit for purpose. I thought it was just UK and France but it appears to be the same in US. Dog help us, one and all.