As the clicks and carts of online shopping surge with the seasonal shopping frenzy, authorities sound the alarm on an old scourge in a new guise: package thieves. Dubbed 'porch pirates', these modern-day buccaneers are making the most of digital shoppers' bounty, swiping parcels right from their doorsteps. As CBS News New York reports, with Black Friday marking the start of the holiday shopping season, police have issued a stark warning to online consumers to stay vigilant against these opportunistic thieves.
In the face of this episodic plunder, some residents, like Scott Ellner of East Brunswick, New Jersey, remain alert. "We check with UPS when we're expecting something and we stick around and try to get it before the porch pirates, and we've been lucky," he said. Meanwhile, on Long Island, a band of hackers escalated the heist by using stolen credit card details to order goods directly to their targets' homes, ready for the taking once delivered. This brazen act prompted the family, who fell victim to this scam, to attempt a futile chase as the thieves made a rapid getaway. "When [the porch pirate] was running, I saw the car there. He had the door open, it was on, there was no one else in there, and he jumped in and sped off," recounted theft victim Erica Bernhard to CBS News New York.
To ward off these unwanted holiday visitors, the Summit, New Jersey police have put forth suggestions. These include utilizing tracking numbers to monitor parcels, signing up for delivery alerts, and requiring signatures upon receipt. For added security, they advise the installation of cameras and leaving specific delivery instructions. "We have the Ring camera. So if there's a package, we'll tell them to put it closer to the door and try to run home to grab it," shared Michelle Stein of Westfield, New Jersey. Allison Collins, also from Westfield, has opted for a more psychological deterrence, "We don't personally have a Ring camera, but we put a sign outside of our house to say we have a security camera, so maybe don't come by our house," she revealed to CBS News New York.
Tips for safeguarding one's online purchases aren't just limited to high-tech solutions, community vigilance can play a pivotal role. Police suggest partnering with neighbors to collectively keep an eye on each other's parcels and to promptly report any suspicious activity. Monroe County Sheriff Todd Baxter put a spotlight on this group effort in a statement obtained by Spectrum News, emphasizing that "people keep track of their packages when they're being delivered." He adds, "[People] have a security system set up. Or [they see] if the package is going to be on your front porch for a while maybe have a neighbor grab it. There's lots of options. [You can] have it delivered to your workplace or even have it delivered to a friend's house."
