‘Porch pirates are out there’: Here are some ways to protect yourself this holiday season

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBRC) - We’re On Your Side with tips to protect yourself, your money and the holidays this Christmas season.

A new study released in November showed that US shoppers have lost $8.2 billion in the last 12 months due to package theft.

Carb Bates, the president of the Better Business Bureau joined Good Day Alabama Monday and said there are some ways to protect yourself from porch pirates.

“Porch pirates are out there and you really need to not leave your packages unattended on your porch or wherever your delivery location is,” Bates said.

He said there are a number of ways to protect yourself and your deliveries from these thieves.

“Well, besides not leaving hem unattended, maybe asking a neighbor who can accept your packages or will look after them during the day if they’re home and you’re not,” Bates said.

He said another way to protect yourself is to have your packages delivered to a secure location, such as lockers that can be found within stores in the community.

“Add some notes to your delivery to customize it,” Bates said. “Tell people to put it on your back porch versus your front porch. A lot of times, the delivery drivers will take care of those.”

Security cameras can be a big help with preventing theft. Bates recommends getting a camera with motion detection to be able to check in and know what’s going on

Another thing to do is to not leave your package sitting outside if possible.

“Know when your package has arrived and go get it right away,” Bates said.

He said one way to know for certain that you get your delivery in your hands if to require a signature.

“It’s a little bit inconvenient,” he said. “But you know you’re going to get your package because you signed for it at the time of delivery.”

If you plan to ship holiday gifts or even doing some last minute online shopping, keep in mind that shipping deadlines are quickly approaching as Christmas is just days away.

Be sure to watch Mike Dubberly’s full interview with Carl Bates in the video above for other tips on scams, phishing and fraud during the holidays.

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