Porch pirates are especially active after Amazon Prime Days, security company says

KETTERING — Amazon Prime Day customers need to be extra vigilant until their purchase or purchases arrive because a security company has found there is a 40-percent increase in package thefts committed by porch pirates after the special deal event.

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This year, Amazon’s annual deal event, offered exclusively for Prime members featuring “epic deals on top brands,” was July 16-17.

“Amazon is delivering more packages to people’s homes. So you know, we know about this,” said Corrie Wagner, senior industry analyst with security.org, the company that analyzed the numbers and issued research on the topic. “Unfortunately, thieves know about this.”

Amazon shoppers have come to expect the convenience of packages being delivered to their front doors.

“I mean Amazon every day,” Kettering resident Brittany Evers said. “It’s so tempting. You can get anything that’s gonna be delivered probably tomorrow.

But shoppers aren’t the only ones expecting the snappy deliveries, some occurring the next day.

“Package theft is a crime of opportunity,” Wagner said.

Safeguarding purchases requires advanced planning in many situations, she said, noting that customers can have their packages delivered to a nearby Amazon locker -- but the package must be small enough to fit in the lockers.

“Amazon does give you the option sometimes of when you want the package to come,” Wagner said. “So if you’re going to be at home this weekend, maybe select those days for when your package will arrive.”

For customers who have no other choice, Wagner said, “it’s possible that you could have the package delivered to your workplace or even delivered to a friend or family member’s home.”

Home cameras and alarm systems can deter thieves and also provide proof if the unthinkable happens.

Porch pirate theft “is a crime that can happen at at any any time, any type of neighborhood, any state, so it’s important for everyone to be vigilant.”

Security.org, a company headquartered in Los Angeles that reviews security products and conducts original research on safety and security, also urges people to make it clear that their property is under surveillance.

The company also suggests that you schedule shipments to arrive when someone will be at home.

Security.org.’s research also has found the following:

* Nationally, porch pirates stole $8 billion worth of property in 2023

* This year, through June, an estimated 44 million people in the United States reported having their packages stolen

* That number is nearly four times Ohio’s total population

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