The coronavirus pandemic means more people will be shopping online this holiday season, but that increases your chance of falling victim to a porch pirate.
A survey by website Finder reports porch pirates accounted for $5.4 billion in thefts over the past year.
There are steps people can take to prevent the thefts, a police official says.
“They should be aware and make sure that their packages are being tracked so they can know when they’re delivered,” Wheaton Police Deputy Chief PJ Youker said Tuesday. “If they’re not going to be home at that time, they can ask a neighbor or a relative to take those packages indoors.”
Youker also recommends keeping packages out of public sight.
“Packages that are more visible from the streets are more likely to be targeted, so, sometimes they can leave special instructions for the delivery company to put the package out of view of the public and passersby.”
While home surveillance systems, like Ring doorbells, don’t always deter thieves they can come in handy when it comes to filing a police report.
“That certainly aids in the apprehension of these offenders,” Youker said.
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