With the rise of online shopping, thieves have seen increased opportunities to take off with others’ property. They are called porch pirates: people who travel through neighborhoods looking for packages that have been delivered but not yet taken inside. The Better Business Bureau has some ideas on how you can keep yourself from becoming a victim of these thieves.
Investigator Don O’Brien says there are certain homes porch pirates look for.
“These porch pirates often target houses that provide a quick in and out route, especially if the porch or area where the packages are delivered are within 25 feet of the street and are easily visible. Think about that if you are kind of close to the street, if people can just walk down the street and see there are packages on your porch, you are probably more likely to be targeted by porch pirates. There are things you are going to want to do in order to protect your goods from being swiped by someone.”
O’Brien says before you assume your package has been stolen, check with your neighbors to see if they may have received your package by mistake. You may want to consider shipping your package to a local store if that option is available. And use a security camera. Even if a package is stolen from your porch, the video evidence will help law enforcement track down the thieves.
***Report Courtesy of farmweeknow.com***