Over 25 million Americans have their deliveries snatched from their front doors by porch pirates every year. Add the COVID-19 pandemic, the holidays and a surge in deliveries to the equation and you can only imagine the increased opportunities for these crooks.
In fact, since the pandemic started in March, more than 18 percent of Americans reported stolen deliveries in the first 4-5 months, with an average loss of $106, according to a survey on ValuePenguin.com, a financial website owned by LendingTree. “Even as many customers shop and work from home, unattended deliveries create opportunities for thieves to steal packages before the resident collects them,” warns Sederia Gray, a FedEx spokeswoman. “The sheer volume of shipments expected this season may create increased opportunities for so-called ‘porch pirates,” she adds.
Unfortunately, even if so many people have had their packages stolen right from their doorsteps, 33 percent of them did nothing to prevent the thefts from happening again. Don’t be one of them. If you’ve had your fair share of unpleasant experiences with the porch pirates or want to prevent such a nefarious situation altogether, here’s what you can do to stop porch pirates from stealing your stuff.
