A report released by the United States Postal Service on Tuesday revealed that package thieves stole goods worth US$12 billion this year. Security.org.
A survey of 11,000 adult respondents in 50 states revealed that one-quarter (14,000,000 people) of Americans have experienced a package theft. According to the report, each parcel had an average value between $204 and $3 billion.
The report said that the booming economy in America is continuing to grow, and this is mainly due to the surge in e-commerce. Such encouraging signs are both a green signal for merchants, and a beacon to greedy porch pirates.
“Our survey revealed that nine out 10 consumers shop online every month at least, and half of them do so on a weekly basis,” the report continued. “This much activity generates millions of packages and a treasure trove for potential victims.”
Corie Wagner Senior Industry analyst at Security.org said package theft continues to be a major problem. She told the E-Commerce Times that it is a crime of chance, and increases when there are more opportunities.
She explained that when people returned to work after the pandemic lockdowns, the rate of package theft increased. Then we notice that they increase around big shopping events, like the holidays. “We expect package theft to rise during this season.”
Organised Package Theft Rings
Jack Berry, President of the Association for Packaging and Delivery, has stated that package theft is an increasing problem. Security ExplorerSecurity services broker in Los Angeles.
This trend can be attributed by the E-Commerce Times to the increased reliance of consumers on the internet for their purchases. As the report points out, the lack of security in American households is a major problem. 42% leave their doors open at least sometimes, and 15% do it even when they aren’t home. This negligence increases the risk of package theft and makes homes easier targets for burglars.
Harry Kazakian – the CEO and founder of USA Express Legal and Investigative ServicesA provider of legal support in Woodland Hills, Calif.
He told the E-Commerce Times that “the pandemic has accelerated this trend and many people are now ordering multiple packages each week.” “This creates reliable, visible opportunities for thieves, especially the more sophisticated ones who work profitable neighborhoods on a consistent basis — just like kids always seem to know which homes have the best candy at Halloween.”
“Like organized crime in retail, package theft is becoming more sophisticated,” Suni Shamapande, a principal of the school, said. PwCThe international professional services firm.
He told the E-Commerce Times that it was initially an opportunistic criminal act, but the increase in home deliveries turned it into a lucrative business.
Dueling Statistics
Rebecca Edwards is a safety expert and managing editor at SafeWiseSalt Lake City’s, a company that provides home safety and security.
SafeWise keeps track of porch piracy as well, but its figures are higher than Security.org’s. “We didn’t see any huge spikes in the number of packages swiped year over year, but the bad news is that loss from package theft is growing — to almost $16 billion,” Edwards told the E-Commerce Times.
She noted that “using our SafeWise data and national crime stats, we estimate approximately 91 million package-theft incidents in 2023.” This includes incidents in which one or more packages have been stolen, so the number of packages that were taken easily exceeds 120 million. This is a small increase year-over-year from 119 million to 120 millions, but this matches population fluctuations, so it’s safe to say package theft has reached its peak.
Ed Burnett, a retired former vice president for security and global fraud investigation at United Parcel Service explained that one of the biggest challenges in the porch piracy issue is the lack of good data from retailers or law enforcement.
It’s hard for him to say if there has been a significant change in the number of complaints, but he said that they have remained fairly constant over the past few decades.
Consumers becoming smarter about package theft
Berry warned consumers to be vigilant about package theft during the holiday season when deliveries are at their highest. Package theft is not only a risk to expensive presents and essential items but also to your identity. This is because many packages have personal information printed on the shipping labels. This is a goldmine to fraudsters.
“This double threat of financial and identitiy loss can severely dampen festive spirit,” said he. “Therefore it is important to increase awareness and take preventive measures.”
Edwards found that this year, more people took action to stop package theft. She observed that consumers are getting smarter. “Nationwide, just one in four people don’t do anything to deter porch pirates — even though more than half of all Americans told us they worry that they’ll have a package stolen.”
“Those numbers change drastically after someone loses a package — more than eight in 10 added a deterrent after having a package snatched,” she said.
Also, consumers are showing an increased interest in surveillance technology. Wagner noted Security.org’s survey numbers show 52% of all households — renters and homeowners — have a security camera, compared to 42% in 2023, and 45% have video doorbells, compared to 37% in 2023.
Precautionary Measures to Avoid Porch Piracy
Melanie McGovern offers some tips to reduce the chances of being a porch pirate victim, besides purchasing security hardware:
- Do not leave unattended packages.
- Ship to storefronts, post offices, or storefronts.
- Some online retailers deliver to a store near you that offers a pick-up location. Ordering online? Check out your delivery options.
- Requires a signature.
- You can opt-in to receive emails related to shipping.
- Set your smartphone app or notification to alert you of the expected date and time for delivery.
Burnett said that package theft is often motivated by the opportunity to steal a package. The less time the package is on your porch, the better. “Even leaving a simple note to the delivery man asking him to hide your package behind something in the front yard that will keep it hidden from the street, is a great step.”
