UPDATE: Mark Rober admitted on Wednesday that parts of the video were faked. Read more here.
SALT LAKE CITY — A former NASA engineer and BYU grad had his video go viral this week for creating a glitter bomb trap that tricks thieves trying to steal Christmas gifts.
What happened: In an 11-minute YouTube video, Mark Rober explains how he puts the device, which is hidden inside an Apple Homepod Box, on the porch to attract thieves to his Amazon packages. But when they go to steal the package, the device explodes with glitter, freaking the burglars out and sending them packing.
- He said he created the bomb to explode when thieves tried to take packages off his porch. When someone tries to steal a package, the GPS in the device measures if it has been moved significantly. If so, then it will explode.
- The device shoots glitter and triggers a “fart spray,” according to USA Today.
You can see the video below.
Why?: Rober, who has gone viral on YouTube before, said he caught thieves on his home security camera but the police said they couldn’t investigate the case, BBC News reports.
- He worked with friend Sean Hodgins to design the device, which took about six months, USA Today reported.
- Rober decided to record videos of people attempting to steal the device, which has been in the Apple Homepod box.
- “It was stolen on several occasions and re-set to explode and capture the footage every time. On every occasion, the thieves abandoned the package once it had been triggered and they or their property had been doused in glitter,” BBC News reports.
Viral: The video has more than 6 million views.
- "If anyone was going to make a revenge bait package and over-engineer the crap out of it, it was going to be me,” Rober said, according to BBC News.
- He said in the video, "The moral of the story is, just don't take other peoples' stuff. Not only is it not cool, but on the plus side, you'll never find yourself in this situation."
BYU: According to KSL-TV’s Heather Kelly, Rober is a BYU graduate.
Why it matters: Salt Lake City is one of the top cities in the country where you’re more likely to get a package stolen during the holidays, according to a new report from Safewise.com, which identifies crime stats for cities across the world.
- Salt Lake City has a year-round theft rate of 32.60 per 1,000 people.
- Austin, Texas, was ranked as the No. 1 city where you’ll get your package taken. The rate there was 18.34 per 1,000 people.
- Interesting facts: Salt Lake City ranked as No. 1 in the top 10 for larceny-theft overall.
- Only three of the top 10 metros that have stolen packages are also likely to have porch theft through the rest of the year. Those three cities include Austin, Salt Lake City and Seattle-Tacoma.