Christmas shopping has never been easier… scroll, click and ship! Done.
Gone are the days of pushing through crowds of people at the mall.
Getting gifts for friends and family can be done without leaving the house. All you need is your credit card and an internet connection.
But shopping online isn’t as carefree as it sounds.
Imagine waiting weeks for your package to arrive only to get stolen from your porch.
With a growing number of porch pirates on the prowl, this is a new threat for many online shoppers.
Porch pirates steal packages from the porches or front door areas of unsuspecting online shoppers’ homes.
If you’ve never been the victim of porch piracy, count yourself lucky.
Common and Increasing Frequency
A FedEx online survey of over 1,500 Canadians found that porch thefts have risen over the last two years.
In 2020, a fifth of respondents reported having their packages stolen by porch pirates.
This year, 30 percent of respondents were the unfortunate victims of porch theft, an eight percent increase since 2020.
The survey found that seven in ten respondents were worried about their unattended packages being stolen after delivery.
“It’s a natural concern. It’s always in the back of your mind — ‘What happens with my package when I’m not home?'” said James Anderson, a spokesperson with FedEx Express Canada.
However, when porch pirates struck, FedEx found that less than ten percent of customers reported the theft to the police. Why is this?
For popular online marketplaces like Amazon, victims of package theft can file a claim to receive a refund or replacement for the item they purchased. So why bother with the cops?
Most cases of porch piracy can be sorted without involving the police. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t report it to the authorities.
Do Your Part!
Even if the police don’t act immediately, your report of the theft helps authorities collect data on crime in your area.
If there are multiple reports of theft in your area, police might increase patrols there.
If not for yourself, report porch piracy for the greater good! Police reports are essential during the holiday season when more people shop online for Christmas shopping.
Thankfully, most delivery providers give customers fine-grain control over their deliveries, including package tracking, discreet deliveries, photo-on-delivery, insurance, pick-up options, and more.
Package tracking gives customers updates on the progress of their deliveries and includes an estimated arrival time. That is super helpful because if you are not home, you can let neighbours know to grab the parcel for you before it goes missing.
Meanwhile, discreet deliveries let customers choose where they want their package delivered, like the side door or garage.
While these options are great, they aren’t foolproof. If you shop online often, consider buying a video doorbell, which notifies you when someone is at the door, including porch pirates.
According to the survey, the number of porch thefts is about the same across the country, except for Atlantic Canada, where package thefts are the lowest.
But thieves in our province mean business.
From cattle to cars to Christmas lights, anything goes for thieves. So, let’s at least make porch piracy a bit harder to pull off.
If you plan on shopping for Christmas online, it doesn’t hurt to be extra careful.
