Beware of Porch Pirates

The holiday season is here and that means you probably have way more packages being delivered than usual. Hopefully, that doesn’t come with an increase in “porch pirate” attacks.

What are Porch Pirates?

Despite porch pirates sounding like a term from a Disney movie, it’s a very real thing. As CNBC notes, porch pirates refer to people who steal packages that are left on porches, stoops, and steps.

Increase in Package Theft

Unfortunately, these attacks are on the rise. According to one report, 260 million delivered packages were stolen this year. That’s up from 210 million last year. This is partly due to an increase in online shopping. During the past year, online sales jumped by 16 percent. Another reason why porch pirate attacks are increasing is that, as experts explained, it’s a low-risk, low-skill crime. If no one is inside the house, it’s hard to get caught. And it doesn’t take much effort to just walk up to a house and take a package.

Theft Prevention

Thankfully, there are ways to combat porch pirates. If you have a security camera, make sure it’s aimed at the porch and display any security signage prominently. You should also sign up for texts or emails from the carrier so that you know when the package is delivered. If your package does get stolen, contact the retailer. They aren’t required to issue a refund, but many times they do.

Original article by Chris O'Shea and adapted in partnership with SavvyMoney.