NYC Package Theft Crisis Hits $248 Million

NEW YORK, NY — New York City recorded an estimated $248.2 million in package losses tied to theft, ranking second among U.S. metros and trailing only Chicago, according to a city-level analysis released ahead of Prime Day.

The analysis by Ecigone found New York City logged 6,374,072 package theft incidents, placing it just behind Chicago’s 6,495,947 incidents and $254.3 million in losses.

New York City’s scale of deliveries helped drive its ranking, with millions of residents receiving packages in apartment buildings, walk-ups, co-ops, office buildings and shared mailrooms where packages often remain unattended after delivery.

“In a city like New York, a parcel can pass through several shared spaces before it reaches the customer, so leaving it unattended is a gamble,” Shane Margereson, who works with online fulfillment and age-sensitive deliveries at Ecigone, said.

The study also reported that New York City registered 821 package theft incidents per capita, lower than several other large metros despite its high total losses.

Ecigone estimated 104.3 million stolen packages nationwide, representing $14.9 billion in consumer losses, even as reported theft cases declined year over year.

“Use a locker, collection point or signed delivery where possible, and choose a delivery day when someone can actually receive it,” Margereson said. “The safest parcel is usually the one that never waits in a lobby or on a doorstep.”

Amazon advises customers to use pickup locations and lockers for deliveries. UPS directs customers to Access Point locations, while the U.S. Postal Inspection Service recommends Hold for Pickup and Signature Confirmation for higher-risk packages.

The analysis reviewed city-level package theft data based on total value lost, total incidents and per capita rates across the top 10 U.S. metros.

Top 10 U.S. Cities For Package Theft Losses

1. Chicago

• $254,279,155 lost
• 6,495,947 incidents
• 1,760 incidents per capita

2. New York City

• $248,221,997 lost
• 6,374,072 incidents
• 821 incidents per capita

3. Miami

• $213,779,820 lost
• 4,542,976 incidents
• 1,844 incidents per capita

4. Houston

• $199,951,984 lost
• 4,559,301 incidents
• 1,524 incidents per capita

5. Baltimore

• $159,487,383 lost
• 3,857,234 incidents
• 3,416 incidents per capita

6. Dallas–Fort Worth

• $159,096,197 lost
• 3,627,708 incidents
• 1,124 incidents per capita

7. Los Angeles

• $150,271,324 lost
• 4,279,085 incidents
• 839 incidents per capita

8. San Antonio

• $132,908,348 lost
• 3,030,574 incidents
• 2,813 incidents per capita

9. Detroit

• $119,132,736 lost
• 3,410,203 incidents
• 1,971 incidents per capita

10. Virginia Beach

• $107,669,161 lost
• 2,989,897 incidents
• 4,199 incidents per capita