porch package

Study: One in Four Americans Have Had Package Stolen By “Porch Pirates”

Nearly half of Americans don’t believe that delivery companies are doing enough to prevent theft, but the survey respondents also aren’t willing to change their online shopping habits.

  • By Haley Samsel
  • Dec 24, 2019

Package theft and “porch pirates” have become key concerns of American adults both during and outside of the holiday shopping season, with almost one in four adults saying they have had a package stolen in a recent study.

The survey of more than 1,000 online shoppers by Illinois-based Shorr Packaging Corp. found that 24 percent of respondents had a package stolen. Sixty-four percent of people who had a package stolen said they have since decided to mail their packages to a different address to prevent theft, and nearly 80 percent said they have changed their plans to be around to pick up the package right after it’s delivered.

Among all of the respondents, though, Americans were less likely to send a package to a different address. Almost 70 percent said they were not willing to change their holiday shopping practices due to fears of package theft, according to MarketWatch.

But victims of “porch pirates” have taken several steps to improve residential security. One in four people who have had a package stolen said they added a doorbell camera to their front door, and 17 percent said they installed motion lights to sense when someone is at the door.

The study found that 44 percent of all respondents said delivery companies, like Amazon, UPS and FedEx, are not doing enough to prevent package theft. The companies pointed to services that allow customers to track their packages as they are traveling to the delivery point, ostensibly giving consumers the chance to plan their days around package deliveries.

Some package-theft victims reported taking precautions to prevent future porch piracy, shelling out an average of $191 on home security: One in four said they’d added a doorbell camera, 19% said they had added some other camera, 17% employed motion lights, 10% bought a dog, 5% installed a fence or gate, and 4% said they had used Amazon’s AMZN, +0.10% Key and Smart Lock Kit to enable in-home delivery.

UPS suggested to MarketWatch that customers could have shipments sent to where they are during the day or to a trusted friend who is home during the day. Amazon and FedEx have advised worried customers to send their packages to Amazon package lockers at convenience stores or FedEx offices.

Ordering products online and selecting “in-store pickup” is another option to ensure packages are not taken off the porch.

About the Author

Haley Samsel is an Associate Content Editor for the Infrastructure Solutions Group at 1105 Media.

Featured

  • Evolving Cybersecurity Strategies: Uniting Human Risk Management and Security Awareness Training

    Organizations are increasingly turning their attention to human-focused security approaches, as two out of three (68%) cybersecurity incidents involve people. Threat actors are shifting from targeting networks and systems to hacking humans via social engineering methods, living off human errors as their most prevalent attack vector. Whether manipulated or not, human cyber behavior is leveraged to gain backdoor access into systems. This mainly results from a lack of employee training and awareness about evolving attack techniques employed by malign actors. Read Now

  • Report: 1 in 3 Easily Exploitable Vulnerabilities Found on Cloud Assets

    CyCognito recently released new research highlighting critical security vulnerabilities across cloud-hosted assets, revealing that one in three easily exploitable vulnerabilities or misconfigurations are found on cloud assets. As organizations increasingly shift to multi-cloud strategies, the findings underscore significant security gaps that could provide attackers with potential footholds into networks. Read Now

  • Built for Today, Ready for Tomorrow

    Selecting the right VMS is critical for any organization that depends on video surveillance to ensure safety, security and operational efficiency. While many organizations focus on immediate needs such as budget and deployment size, let us review some of the long-term considerations that can significantly impact a VMS's utility and flexibility. Read Now

  • Paving the Way to Smart Buildings

    In today's rapidly evolving security landscape, the convergence of on-prem, edge and cloud technologies are critical. The physical security landscape is undergoing a profound transformation, driven by the rapid digitalization of buildings and the evolving needs of modern organizations. As the buildings sector pivots towards smart, AI and data-driven operations, the integration of both edge and cloud technology has become crucial. Read Now

  • The Cybersecurity Time Bomb

    If you work in physical security, you have probably seen it: a camera, access control system, or intrusion detection device installed years ago, humming along without a single update. It is a common scenario that security professionals have come to accept as "normal." But here is the reality: this mindset is actively putting organizations at risk. Read Now

Most   Popular

New Products

  • Connect ONE’s powerful cloud-hosted management platform provides the means to tailor lockdowns and emergency mass notifications throughout a facility – while simultaneously alerting occupants to hazards or next steps, like evacuation.

    Connect ONE®

    Connect ONE’s powerful cloud-hosted management platform provides the means to tailor lockdowns and emergency mass notifications throughout a facility – while simultaneously alerting occupants to hazards or next steps, like evacuation.

  • Automatic Systems V07

    Automatic Systems V07

    Automatic Systems, an industry-leading manufacturer of pedestrian and vehicle secure entrance control access systems, is pleased to announce the release of its groundbreaking V07 software. The V07 software update is designed specifically to address cybersecurity concerns and will ensure the integrity and confidentiality of Automatic Systems applications. With the new V07 software, updates will be delivered by means of an encrypted file.

  • AC Nio

    AC Nio

    Aiphone, a leading international manufacturer of intercom, access control, and emergency communication products, has introduced the AC Nio, its access control management software, an important addition to its new line of access control solutions.