Delivery riders are shaken over a spike in scooter and e-bike thefts across Sydney.
At least three delivery riders told 7NEWS.com.au their e-bikes were stolen in separate incidents in recent weeks — with some targeted more than once.
More than 10 social media posts in the past month have also pointed to similar thefts.
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Michael Du said police told him he was not the first to report a theft on the day he was targeted.
In fact, he was told similar thefts had been happening daily.
Delivery riders speak out Du, a 24-year-old UNSW student, said his e-bike was stolen in the two minutes it took to drop off an order at an apartment building on Hinchcliffe Pl in Zetland about 10.30pm on Tuesday.
“I think the person might have been following me — they were probably watching delivery riders,” Du said.
“The moment you go upstairs without locking your bike, they just rush over and take it.”
He said he didn’t lock the e-bike or turn the power off because he expected to be back quickly.
Michael Du’s e-bike was stolen on Hinchcliffe Pl in Zetland. Credit: Michael Du He was stunned when he realised the $1200 bike was gone, along with $100 worth of snacks he had been looking forward to eating after work.
“My monthly expenses, apart from rent, are sometimes less than $1000 … so it was a big hit for me,” Du said.
Du, who has lived in Australia for 10 years and worked part-time as a delivery rider for four, said this was the second time his e-bike had been stolen.
The first incident happened in November last year, when his bike was taken from an apartment building carpark after the lock was broken.
Du said when he reported the theft, a police officer told him the chances of recovering the bike were less than 1 per cent.
“I don’t expect police to find it — it’s almost impossible,” he said.
In a similar incident just over a week ago, another delivery rider’s e-bike was stolen — also in Zetland.
Alan, who asked to be identified by his first name only, said his e-bike was taken on Ebsworth St in Zetland about 7.30pm on March 23.
The 26-year-old said he was gone for less than three minutes when the bike vanished.
“I was so close — maybe 7m or 8m away — just waiting for the customer to come downstairs,” Alan said.
“It was stolen right under my nose. It’s just incredibly brazen.”
Alan’s e-bike was stolen on Ebsworth St in Zetland. Credit: Alan Thinking he would be back within moments, Alan said he didn’t lock the bike or turn off the power while carrying two large bags of food.
Also a student working part-time to support himself, Alan said he had little time to dwell on the loss of his $1400 bike and began renting one straight away.
He said renting required a $300 deposit and costs about $85 a week for a bike that wasn’t as good as his original, describing it as “not cost-efficient”.
Alan posted photos of the bike on social media and reported the theft to police, but said his hopes of getting it back were fading.
“I feel pretty hopeless,” he said.
Two stolen but one recovered Fellow delivery rider Andrew Liu said he managed to track down his stolen e-bike after being targeted for a second time.
The 23-year-old’s e-bike was stolen in November last year, and another in March, both in Maroubra in Sydney’s east.
After arriving in Australia in June 2025 as an international student at UNSW, Liu bought a $1300 second-hand e-bike and began working as a delivery rider.
But just three days later, it was stolen.
“It was a Coles order — I was only gone for about 10 minutes, and when I came back, it was gone,” Liu said.
Despite reporting it to police, he never recovered the bike and later bought another for $1700.
He said he didn’t expect it to also be stolen — at least not within just a few months.
Andrew Liu bought a second e-bike after the first one was stolen, only to be robbed again. Credit: Andrew Liu The second bike was taken from a friend’s carpark, despite being locked.
“Luckily I was a bit smarter the second time — I had an AirTag on it, so I could track its location,” Liu said.
He said he didn’t report the second theft to police, believing it wouldn’t help.
“It looked like they tried to cut the lock but couldn’t, so they dumped it on the side of the road,” he said.
“A kind person must have found it near Walter Williamson Park and reported it to police.
“I eventually tracked it down to Maroubra Police Station.”
The bike had been damaged, with parts and the food box missing, and Liu had to spend $250 to get it running again.
“I’ve developed a lot of anxiety about my belongings,” he said.
“I’m a student — it’s not easy to make money. Rent is expensive, food is expensive.
“I work hard doing physical work to earn a bit, and then it just gets taken away from me.”
Police warn riders to secure e-bikes NSW Police said they are investigating the two reported e-bike thefts in Zetland.
“On both occasions the riders of the e-bikes were working as food delivery riders when they entered a unit complex at the locations to deliver the requested order,” police told 7NEWS.com.au.
Anyone with information or relevant dashcam or mobile phone footage is urged to contact police.
“Police would like to remind riders to secure their e-bikes when left unattended,” police said.
“Owners of e-bikes are also reminded to record the serial numbers of the e-bike which will aid in recovery of the vehicle if stolen.”