As the holidays approach, many people will turn to online shopping for gifts, which means packages being delivered and left in mailboxes and on front porches of homes. It also means porch pirates will be on the lookout for packages they can easily steal.
For students, faculty and staff who live off campus in houses, apartments or condominiums, UAPD offers these tips for protecting yourself against porch pirates:
- Require a signature from the delivery service.
- Sign up for tracking alerts that can be sent to your phone or email.
- Talk to your neighbors, and ask them to watch for any deliveries you are expecting while you are away from home.
- Request a hold be placed on your mail if you plan to be away for more than a few days.
- Pick up your packages at the delivery service company (FedEx, U.S. Post Office, UPS).
- Give specific instructions to the delivery service company to leave your packages on your back porch or in another location where they are not easily seen.
- If you can afford it, install security cameras or a video doorbell that can be accessed from your mobile phone.
If you are able to track the package and are certain it was delivered to your home and then stolen, you should file a police report. You should also check the policy of the delivery service to see if reimbursement for the stolen goods is a possibility.