Ride the Lightning

Protecting Your Packages From Porch Pirates

March 8, 2021

CNET had some good advice in a March post to help you protect your packages from thieves who brazenly see them by your front door and make off with them. All this online shopping resulted in one study finding that 59% of respondents receiving at least one package per week in 2020. We have that stat beat by a considerable number.

Many packages are unattended for hours and that will only get worse as more and more people return to work. The same study found that 43% of respondents reported having a package stolen – up from 36% just one year earlier. Of those who have had a package stolen, more than half have had it happen more than once.

How do you ensure that your packages are not the victim of a heist? There are a number of measures you can take.

In 2021, every major delivery company and the US Postal Service gives updates on when a given package will arrive. In most cases, you can track its progress and see when it’s been placed on the truck for delivery. The tracking will be updated when your package has been delivered.

This is helpful because I can retrieve packages when I get a phone notification of delivery. If I can’t be around, I can ask a neighbor to store my package until I get home.

We installed a Ring Video doorbell a long while ago. Arlo and Nest also make video doorbells. Though they are doorbells, they double as home security cameras. When someone rings the doorbell, you can see a live video feed and hear what your visitor is saying. And the camera allows for two-way audio, meaning you can talk to whomever is on your porch.

Frankly, porch pirates do not want to be caught on camera. They look for and avoid these video doorbells.

Many of these video doorbells come with motion sensors and a notification system, which sends an alert when someone is on your front porch. They allow you to initiate two-way talk. If a delivery person is at your door, you can give them instructions, such as placing the box in a secluded place. As an example, you can ask them to place it behind a large bush. If it’s a potential porch pirate, you can let them know that they’re on camera and advise them to leave your box alone.

Great video doorbells can be purchased for under $150.

Amazon offers a delivery option called Amazon Locker. The company has lockers at various locations, from pharmacies to convenience stores. Rather than having a package delivered to your front door, you can choose to have it delivered to a nearby locker. If are away a lot, this is a good option. You’ll get a notification when your package is delivered, just as you normally would. When you get to the locker, you’ll use the code that Amazon sends you, which will permit the opening of the locker.

Many companies now manufacture lockboxes specifically designed for receiving packages though they’ll cost you a couple hundred bucks. When you order an item online, you’ll give instructions for the delivery driver to open your porch lockbox. Some have a slot for drivers to drop small items into but require a key to open. Others require a code that you can provide for the delivery driver.

Delivery drivers typically leave packages on porches or at front doors. Most companies also give the option to require signature on delivery. In that case, the driver can’t leave the package unless you’re there to sign. I would find that a nuisance, so that tip wouldn’t work for me.

You can buy a mailbox sensor, a small device that attaches to your mailbox and notifies you when it’s been opened. You can find out when your mail is delivered and you would know if someone is opening your mailbox that shouldn’t be. Mailbox sensors can give you more immediate information regarding your deliveries, especially for smaller parcels.

Ring is one of the companies that offers this product and it allows you to pair your mailbox sensor with the rest of your home security system. You can arrange it so when your mailbox is opened, your doorbell camera or another home security camera begins recording.

Studies have shown that your home is less likely to be subject to theft if it’s obvious you have a home security system of some kind. We have more than a dozen cameras – some high enough that they are impervious to being sprayed with black paint!

According to data collected by a researcher at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, 83% of burglars try to determine whether a house has a home security system. If security is present, 87% would move onto another home. Yup, that was our theory when we installed our system years ago.

And don’t assume these people are very smart. You can put a sign in your front yard – we are a little less obvious but at every point of entry to our home, there is sticker advising would-be thieves of our video security system.

Some people have phony signs indicating that they have a security system, but as cheap as they are, I recommend that you get the real deal.

So far, we have only “caught” two deer eating the plants by our front porch. That’s ok, we assume the very visible cameras are doing their job.

Sharon D. Nelson, Esq., President, Sensei Enterprises, Inc.
3975 University Drive, Suite 225|Fairfax, VA 22030
Email:  Phone: 703-359-0700
Digital Forensics/Cybersecurity/Information Technology
https://senseient.com
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