Porch Pirates Make Bold Moves in Broad Daylight

Porch pirates are the modern-day version of Mr. Grinch

SALT LAKE CITY — Unlike Mr. Grinch, porch pirates do not wait until the dead of night to steal your holiday gifts. They are bold and brazen and perform their thievery in broad daylight.

Three in four Americans have had a delivery stolen from their home, according to the fifth annual Package Theft Report released by SafeWise, in partnership with Vivint Smart Home. What’s more, these numbers are rapidly increasing, with porch piracy ballooning by 23% over the last 12 months.

“Package theft is a crime of opportunity and porch pirates are getting bolder every year,” says Rebecca Edwards, Lead Safety Reporter at SafeWise. “If a package can be seen on your front porch, then you’re at risk. But there are simple things you can do, like use a package locker or ask neighbors to keep an eye out, to mitigate that risk.”

With the holidays fast approaching, more people will be shopping online which gives porch pirates the perfect opportunity to swipe packages. To help consumers, SafeWise partnered with home security leader Vivint to provide actionable ways for people to protect their purchases.

“We know from our customers that protecting packages is top of mind for them, especially during the holiday season when packages often contain valuable gifts for loved ones,” said Abhi Bhatt, Sr. Vice President of Product and Innovation at Vivint. “Technology is part of a proactive approach you can take, and we recommend smart doorbells and cameras that not only alert you when your packages are stolen, but actively deter theft by playing a sound or shining a light to let porch pirates know someone is watching.”

SafeWise and Vivint also analyzed where package theft occurs most frequently so you can take the right safety measures to secure your packages.

Top 10 metros where porch pirates strike the most