The holiday season is a boon for porch pirates: here’s how to combat them

Porch piracy continues to be a significant problem for consumers. Thieves stole billions of dollars worth of packages in 2023. 

SafeWise, a home safety and security expert firm, estimated that 260,000 incidents of package thefts occur every day, though given the number of packages that get swiped at one time, it is projected the number of stolen packages on a daily basis could surpass 325,000. 

The SafeWise 2024 Package Theft Report found that $16 billion worth of packages were stolen in 2023. 

To underscore the depth of the problem, some of the crooks have gone as far as using cellular data to track packages containing AT&T iPhones and snagging them within moments of being delivered, according to several reports. 

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“As the holiday shopping season picks up, the volume of packages increases, and thieves, feeling the economic pressures of the season, are more motivated to seize the opportunity,” Tomasz Borys, vice president of marketing for Deep Sentinel, said. He projected that there will be an uptick over the next few weeks given the surge in online orders from Cyber Monday. 

While cameras might capture footage of the thieves, James Moore, co-founder of Porch Pals, a package insurance company, said they don’t fully address the problem, including the hassle of replacing an item and getting reimbursed. 

Baltimore resident Rosemarie Dumhart uses a decoy package, marked with an X, to discourage the so-called “porch pirates.” (SEBASTIEN DUVAL/AFP via Getty Images) / Getty Images)

For $10 a month, his company automatically reimburses a consumer’s debit or credit card within hours of the package being reported stolen. 

Some online brands are even leveraging technology to send packages to retailers for pickup, rather than at a customer’s home, which experts say could help alleviate some of the issues. 

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For instance, Via.Delivery’s Buy Online Pickup Anywhere (BOPA) technology lets online shoppers select from over 36,000 pickup locations, including major retail chains nationwide. The company will ship and deliver customers’ orders to the selected (BOPA) locations.

Here are other tactics shoppers use to help prevent package theft: 

According to Personal safety expert and faculty lecturer of personal defense at San Francisco State University Stephanie Cyr, shoppers should also utilize their neighbors by developing a package buddy system. For instance, Cyr said shoppers can ask a trusted neighbor to take in their packages or sign for them. In return, shoppers can offer to do the same for them. 

A camera above the door is used to film possible thieves, by Baltimore resident Rosemarie Dumhart, to discourage the so-called “porch pirates” operating in the Canton area of Baltimore, Maryland, on December 17, 2018. (Photo by Sébastien DUVAL / AFP) (SEBASTIEN DUVAL/AFP via Getty Images) / Getty Images)

Cyr also recommended either re-directing a package to a workplace or a trusted neighbor. They can also update their shipping preferences to require a signature upon delivery, which will ensure that packages aren’t left unattended. 

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Consumers can also leverage tools like USPS or Amazon package lockers to avoid home deliveries. In certain cities, shoppers can also use services like Go Locker, City CoPilot or gopost to protect their packages, though these options may cost extra, according to Cyr.