9 Ways to Thwart Porch Pirates
Practical, proven strategies to keep your packages safe from thieves
Every year, online shopping becomes an ever-increasingly popular way of consumer life, but with this growing popularity comes a growing number of thieves cruising the streets for unwatched packages lying around homes.
These so-called porch pirates sneak up to your house and abscond with your groceries, new shoes, electronics, furnishings—you name it. Some savvy scoundrels even follow Amazon and UPS trucks at a distance to pluck packages after they’ve been delivered and “safely” left on your porch, by your mailbox, or near your door.
Here are nine ways to stop porch pirates in their tracks.
1. Select an inconspicuous delivery location
Many online vendors request delivery instructions at check-out. Be specific. For instance, note that you’d like the item placed near the back door or behind a bush next to the side garage—not on the front porch.
2. Install a security camera near the delivery area
Digitally based security products, such as the Ring doorbell camera, connect to your phone or tablet. If someone triggers the camera, you’ll receive a notification. Then, view the live footage or talk to the person via the security system’s app.
Consider investing in a high-definition model that will capture the person’s facial features, recommends Robert D. Sollars with Tempe, Arizona-based Sollars Violence Prevention. Also, consider aiming a camera at the street to record vehicles so that you can capture descriptions and details.
If wiring is an issue, choose a brand like Arlo, which makes wireless security cameras and doorbells that send instant alerts.
3. Track packages
Once you receive tracking information, note when a package is shipped and when it’s expected to arrive.
After receiving a delivery notification, collect the item immediately, suggests Sergio Flores, chief product officer of Canary, a home security company.
Amazon now sends alerts through the Alexa mobile app or an announcement via Echo when a supported camera or video doorbell detects a person or package.
4. Have packages delivered to your work address
If you’re back in the office and your workplace allows it, have items sent to that address.
“Just be sure you have a place to keep them and take them home daily,” says Sollars, adding that theft happens in workplaces, too.
5. Require a signature upon delivery
New Yorker Grace Baena elects to add this extra step, if available with the delivery service. “While it may be inconvenient for me, it guarantees that whatever I purchased actually ends up in my possession,” she says. Note that this step may incur a cost.
There’s also the chance that the delivery service might ignore the request, Sollars warns. “In the end, they can and usually will just leave it at the front door if no one is home to sign for it.” Some forge a signature, which is an issue if the item goes missing.
6. Shine a light on the area
Since Amazon delivers at all hours, use motion-detector floodlights to illuminate any thievery at night. Some products combine lights and video for enhanced security.
7. Consider a package lockbox for your home
Not surprisingly, you’ll find many lockbox options on Amazon, including those you can control with an app, and some more decorative options, like the Simplay3 storage container, which has a planter on top.
Affix the box to a permanent structure to prevent the thief from pinching the box and the goods.
Vicki Liston of >On the Fly…DIY built an attractive 90-pound design.
“Someone looking just to snag a package is most likely not committed to dragging a heavy wooden structure down the street,” notes Liston, whose step-by-step guide is available on YouTube.
8. Use a Hub Locker location or Amazon Key Service
Amazon has Hub Locker arrangements with locations nationwide to retrieve and return packages. Some of the sites offer counter service instead of a physical locker.
The Amazon Key Service, free for Amazon Prime members, requires the myQ smart garage app. Drivers scan the package to activate the door without needing your private code.
9. Create a package retrieval arrangement with trusted neighbors
If you aren’t home, ask a neighbor to keep an eye on your property, particularly if you’re traveling, and move delivered packages to an agreed-upon secure location. This is the kind of reliable arrangement that can thwart thieves not only from poaching packages from your porch but the porches of your entire neighborhood.