Cyber Monday: How To Prevent Package Thefts In Washington

SEATTLE, WA — As consumer buying habits shift to online shopping, porch pirates in Washington are lurking, ready to pounce on holiday and other packages left at the door by delivery services. A new report shows 36 percent of Americans had a package stolen at least once in the past 12 months.

In King County, and in many areas, law enforcement typically sees an uptick in package theft reports over the holiday months. The Seattle Times reports the Seattle-Tacoma area ranked fifth in the nation for package stolen from porches, according to a recent study.

This month, the King County Sheriff's Office shared a few reminders to keep the porch pirates at bay:

• Don't send packages to your home: Send them to your office, or a trusted neighbor who will be home during delivery
• Schedule a delivery window or day when you will be home, or have packages held at the facility
• Get your package delivered to a nearby locker if offered by the retailer
• Consider a post office box: USPS, UPS, and other shipping companies offer these options
• Finally, invest in a doorbell camera. If you can't have your packages sent elsewhere, capturing good video of your porch pirate can help us in a theft investigation

The United States Postal Inspection Service's Seattle Division outlined a few more ways to ensure packages won't get left at home if you're not around:

A recent report by the Chicago-based market research company C+R Research found 92 percent of 2,000 people surveyed expect to get at least one online order delivered to their home this holiday season, and nearly half said they’re worried their packages will be stolen. Some 42 percent said they won’t buy expensive items online, and 32 percent said they’ll do their shopping at brick-and-mortar stores.

The survey revealed that consumers who shopped online at least once during the past 12 months spent an average of $222.

Nearly half of them (44 percent) receive some type of package once a week; and, on average, survey respondents said they get about 45 packages delivered to their home each year. That number is slightly higher — 51 — for Amazon Prime members.

Of those who said their packages were stolen, 56 percent reported a single theft, 22 percent reported two thefts, 10 percent reported three thefts, 3 percent reported four thefts and 9 percent reported five thefts.

The majority of theft victims — 83 percent — said they contacted the seller, and 13 percent reported the theft to authorities. Nearly three-fourths of those who said their packages were stolen reported getting a refund, but those who didn’t spent an average of $109 to replace the pirated good, the survey showed.

The porch pirates usually get away with it. Only 11 percent said the culprits were caught.

Many of those whose packages were stolen took preventative measures, spending an average of $191. One-quarter of people whose packages were stolen installed some type of doorbell camera that records activity at their front doors and allows them to monitor what’s going on remotely.

Another 19 percent installed some other surveillance camera, 17 percent installed motion lights, 10 percent got a dog, 5 percent installed a fence or gate and 4 percent purchased an Amazon smart key, according to the survey.

Despite the availability of security measures such as doorbell cameras, 44 percent of respondents said delivery companies aren’t doing enough to prevent package thefts.

That’s causing some to rethink their online buying habits. The survey showed 42 percent said they avoid buying certain types of items online, and 54 percent fear their online purchases will be stolen.

And although the thought of having a stranger enter their homes is concerning, nearly a quarter of survey respondents said they would prefer packages be left inside the home. About half of online shoppers say they’ll make sure they’re home when their packages are delivered, and 26 percent will choose an option that requires a signature for delivery.

Another 31 percent plan to pick up their packages at a physical store, 14 percent will have them delivered to their workplaces, and 12 percent will have them delivered to a friend or relative.