The National Retail Federation (NRF) expects holiday spending to reach record levels this year with estimates between $957.3 billion and $966.6 billion. For 58% of consumers, many holiday purchases will be from online retailers.
Online shopping has been one of the biggest shifts in consumer behavior from the COVID-19 pandemic, the NRF reported, with total online and other non-store sales expected to fall between $273.7 billion and $278.8 billion — up from $255.8 billion last year.
With the increase in online spending comes an increase in holiday shipping, leaving plenty of packages available for grinches to swipe.
A recent study by Security.org, which conducts extensive research on home and personal security topics, said 25% of West Virginians reported having at least one package stolen in the past 12 months. The average value of stolen packages in the state was $55.
According to SafeWise, an online guide to safety and security products, porch pirates nationwide are as active as ever, snatching an estimated 113 million packages from outside residences last year.
Over 65% of Americans reported being more worried about package theft than they were a year ago, with one in two people telling SafeWise they worry about package theft happening to them on a daily basis.
Dr. Ben Stickle, an expert on criminal justice and package theft, told SafeWise, “Package theft is a crime of opportunity. The more packages left for longer periods of time on a porch, the more likely they are to be stolen. As the Christmas gift season gets into full swing, there will be a significant increase in packages on a porch.
“Add to that, people are busier this time of year and have their routine shifted as they may work later and spend more time away from home shopping or visiting with family and friends,” Stickle said, “so packages are left sitting exposed on the porch for longer.”
Particularly around the winter holidays, the volume of packages increases as well as the value of what is inside those packages, due to gift-giving.
“All of this adds up to easy targets for thieves,” Stickle said. “Porch piracy is a low-entry crime. There are no special skills needed to walk up a driveway and steal a package. What’s more, the risk is very low as well, and punishment, even if caught, is minimal.”
According to the Security.org study, unless a home has a security system, the police often have little evidence to follow. In fact, they found that those who didn’t have a doorbell camera or security system were less likely to report porch piracy. Out of all the respondents that reported the incident, only 19% owned a doorbell camera.
While mail theft is a federal crime that can bring a stiff sentence, it only covers United States Postal Service (USPS) packages or parcels within (or adjacent to) mailboxes.
An Amazon, FedEx or UPS delivery left on your stairs invokes no federal jurisdiction, and the $50 average value of stolen packages will likely be classified as misdemeanors in many states.
SafeWise found that packages stolen the most were from Amazon (55.5%), followed by FedEx (25.4%), USPS (23.5%) and UPS (22.6%). Grocery and Hello Fresh deliveries also made the list with a combined 15%.
While stealing packages delivered by private shipping companies currently does not have the same consequences as USPS, the Porch Pirates Act is pending in Congress, according to a Forbes Advisor report. This measure would apply the same penalties to the theft of packages delivered by shippers such as Amazon, FedEx and UPS that are applied to U.S. Postal Service mail.
Even with criminal laws in place, there are security measures you should take to prevent packages vanishing from your doorstep, and each carrier offers several options to help you.
The securest option, of course, is to make sure someone is home when a package is delivered, but that is not always possible. Informing trusted neighbors when expecting package deliveries is also a good option so they can be on the lookout for packages if you’re not around.
Most delivery services give you the option to electronically track a package en route to your home. The real-time tracking alerts can help you ensure someone picks up the package right after delivery.
Shipping services typically offer a signature-upon-delivery option that can be selected when shipping arrangements are being made, whether you’re shopping online or shipping yourself; however, this option can come with a small additional fee.
Package lockers are also popular solutions. Amazon operates self-service lockers at locations throughout the U.S. — there is one at Gabe’s on Mall Road in Westover, for example — and will let you know when delivery is made, with instructions on how to retrieve your item. There is no additional charge to have a package shipped to a locker, but to use this option, you must pick a locker location as a delivery address during the checkout process.
Personal package lockers can also be purchased to be placed outside of your home for all of your deliveries. You can also ask delivery drivers to put packages in a discreet location like behind a plant, a piece of furniture or another item on your porch, so they are not easily identified from the street.
One of the more popular anti-theft solutions is the installation of doorbell video cameras and other security equipment. Even if a doorbell camera doesn’t deter a thief from taking the package, it can capture footage that can help law enforcement catch them.
Despite high concern, almost 4 in 10 of those who had a package stolen didn’t have any security or preventive measures in place.
SafeWise said nearly eight in 10 people said they added some deterrent or preventive measure after having a package stolen.
After having a package stolen, 35% reached out to neighbors, 35% started to make arrangements for delivery people to leave packages in a discreet location, and 23% added a security system or camera.
Only 21% reported the theft to law enforcement and 9% ended up making an insurance claim.
USPS advises, “If you suspect a mail theft, report it! When you do not report a mail theft, the thief gets away with their crime. Mail theft is serious, and reporting it is as easy as a phone call: 1-877-876-2455.”
Mail and package thefts can also be reported to state and local law enforcement agencies.
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