Porch Pirates steal boxes of doorstep booty!
The golden age of piracy is making a comeback to a neighborhood near you. Almost any product is available today to be shipped directly to your front door. While a great modern convenience, the boxes waiting for you on the front steps come with some risk. This modern-day version of the treasure hunt occurs when a porch pirate steals packages from homes hoping the contents are pricey items that can be sold.
Once a holiday season annoyance package theft is now a year-round problem. Since the pandemic the number of packages arriving at homes on a daily basis has grown considerably. According to the United States Postal Service 58 million packages were stolen in 2024. This problem has affected 25% of Americans.
Porch Pirates do not discriminate; USPS, FedEx, UPS, and Amazon are the big players in the package delivery space, but no specific company is targeted. The theft problem is real across rural, suburban, and city areas.
Sure, you can require a signature for delivery or pickup packages yourself, but both solutions take some convenience out of the online shopping experience. If you still want that fully convenient online shopping experience focus on prevention. Video doorbells and other security cameras offer a deterrent that could be enough to get those porch pirates to leave you off the list of targets. If you are one of the 30+ percent of Americans receiving packages daily, you may also want to invest in a package delivery box with anti-theft features. Basic models are available for a moderate cost. Smart versions will require a larger investment but for many the peace of mind gained from the built-in camera, keypad access, and two-way audio features is worth it.
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