How to protect yourself from porch pirates this holiday season

While clear skies make it easier for porch pirates to steal your packages, they're also known to brave bad weather.

Transcript

00:00 With millions of people shopping online this holiday season, porch pirates are

00:05 especially active. "The thing is that porch piracy is a crime of opportunity.

00:09 If the package is there, it's just got a neon sign over it that maybe you can

00:14 come take me." According to SafeWise, your package is most likely to be stolen

00:19 from noon to 6 p.m. "People are more likely to not be at home during the day

00:24 than they are at night." While clear sunny days make it easier for thieves to work,

00:28 they're also willing to brave inclement weather. "Especially since they've

00:32 started using cars more often. It's not just walking by necessarily. There are

00:37 some more organized rings of package thieves working together that are

00:42 loading stuff into the car and so if you have to risk a little rain, a little snow

00:45 to get something that looks good, they don't care." Edward says there are ways

00:50 to protect your packages from being stolen. "The number one thing I think

00:53 that everybody should do that doesn't cost you any extra money is requiring a

00:57 signature upon delivery. Beyond that, I have a personal package locker on my

01:02 front porch that just has a code on it. I leave it open, packages get delivered in

01:07 there and then it just locks when it gets closed and then I have the code to

01:10 unlock it." Several features on home security cameras can also help. "There

01:15 are other cameras out there that are more proactive that have pre-recorded

01:18 messages, that have flashing lights and whistles and things that go off that

01:22 startle the perpetrators more, put some off their game and they tend to run away

01:26 without grabbing the stuff." If your package gets stolen, contact the merchant,

01:31 the delivery carrier and file a police report. It's also important not to let

01:36 your guard down after the holidays. January is one of the most popular

01:40 months for your packages to get stolen. For AccuWeather, I'm Emmy Victor.