{"id":3422,"date":"2022-11-30T12:16:01","date_gmt":"2022-11-30T18:16:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dev.pirg-test.com\/missouri\/resources\/package-thefts-are-on-the-rise-here-are-tips-to-protect-yourself\/"},"modified":"2023-02-28T11:11:58","modified_gmt":"2023-02-28T17:11:58","slug":"package-thefts-are-on-the-rise-here-are-tips-to-protect-yourself","status":"publish","type":"resource","link":"https:\/\/dev.pirg-test.com\/missouri\/resources\/package-thefts-are-on-the-rise-here-are-tips-to-protect-yourself\/","title":{"rendered":"Package thefts are on the rise; here are tips to protect yourself"},"featured_media":0,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":false,"_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-title":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-description":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-title":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-description":""},"campaign_tax":[187],"display_option":[],"issue_tax":[],"resource_type":[90],"region_tax":[],"state":[2],"topic_tax":[154],"class_list":["post-3422","resource","type-resource","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":{"details":{"helper_taxonomies":{"topics":[154],"collection":false,"press_type":false,"person_type":false,"resource_type":90,"event_type":false,"campaigns":187,"department":false,"level":false,"states":[2],"act_option":false,"display_option":false,"primary":{"topic":154}},"subtitle":"","excerpt":"","featured_image":"","caption_override":"","updated_on":null,"sidebar_action":"","related_event":"","hide_hero_image":false,"location":"internal","external_link":{"publication_name":"","url":""},"file":null,"sidebar_action_query_string":""},"helper_people_group":{"title":"Authors","entities":[{"type":"dynamic","dynamic_person":{"site":16,"people":"128"},"information":{"name":"","image":null,"role":"","biography":"","contact":{"twitter":"","facebook":"","email":"","phone":""}}}]},"helper_downloads":{"title":"Downloads","files":null},"page_layout":[{"acf_fc_layout":"layout_large_image","_acfe_flexible_toggle":"","component_large_image":{"width":"narrow","image":45265,"caption_override":""}},{"acf_fc_layout":"layout_wysiwyg","_acfe_flexible_toggle":"","component_wysiwyg":{"content":"Getting a lot of deliveries these days for gifts you ordered online? Probably yes. And the bad guys know it.<\/span>\r\n\r\nPackage theft is not a new problem, but it has increased as many workers<\/a> have returned to their offices at least part of the time. Also, porch piracy escalates during the holiday shopping season<\/a>. According to Security.org, about 49 million Americans have had a package stolen at least once in the past 12 months. The median value of a stolen package was $50. Porch piracy is most common in Alaska (29 percent of households) and least common in Maine (12 percent).<\/span>\r\n\r\nThere are steps you can take to reduce the risk of your items being stolen off your doorstep.<\/span>\r\n

Plan deliveries<\/strong>\r\n<\/span><\/h4>\r\nWith Amazon, for example, you can pick one day a week to have packages delivered. You can try to make a point to have someone home.\r\n<\/span>\r\n<\/span>With UPS and FedEx, you may not be able to choose a delivery day, but you\u2019ll usually know what day and maybe even a ballpark time, either when you order or when the item is shipped. In some cases, if you track the shipment online, the website will tell you how many stops there are before yours.<\/span>\r\n\r\nWith the Postal Service, you can sign up for <\/span>Informed Delivery<\/span><\/a>. Every morning, you should get an email showing the items to be delivered that day. Items in your mailbox may be a little more secure than those at your front door. They\u2019d be even more secure if you had a locking mailbox \u2013 mail and small packages can go in but can\u2019t come out unless you use a key to open the door.<\/span>\r\n

Sign up for alerts<\/strong><\/h4>\r\nSign up for email or text messages to alert you when your package is supposed to arrive and when it's actually delivered. I have these with USPS<\/a>, Amazon, <\/span>UPS<\/span><\/a> and FedEx<\/a>. I work at home and can see the street from my home office. In some cases, I\u2019ll get my email or text alert of a delivery before the driver has pulled away from my house.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\r\n

Retrieve your packages immediately<\/strong><\/h4>\r\nIf you get an alert your package has been delivered, get it immediately or call a neighbor who you know is home to retrieve it.<\/span>\r\n

Pick up packages instead of having them delivered<\/strong><\/h4>\r\nIn some cases, you can make these choices after your package has been shipped. In others, you need to select this option when you make the purchase or before it\u2019s shipped.<\/span>\r\n