With Christmas approaching, porch pirates could be the grinch that steals your Christmas joy. It’s a problem everywhere of someone just walking up and taking someone else's items.
A Corpus Christi woman who wanted to remain anonymous said her packages were taken from her front porch last week and she caught the person right on her ring camera.
“You know, that’s kind of a scary feeling, to know that people are just randomly walking around taking what they please," said the woman.
“When I checked it, it looked like somebody was dropping off but then when I relooked at it, he was actually picking up packages and walking away from my doorsteps," she said.
A study from security.org shows 49 million Americans have had at least one package stolen in the past 12 months, with the average value of stolen items around $50. Their interactive map shows in Texas, about 18% of people have had their package stolen this year.
“The things that he stole are things that are easily replaced; they are for my toddler granddaughter," said the woman.
So what are some other ways you can keep your items being mailed safely from thieves?
If you are looking for ways to have your parcel dropped off safely from thieves. You can look up Amazon lockers. Just type amazon.com/findalocker and enter your zip code, and it will show you lockers in your area.
Chief Eric Blanchard with Aransas Pass Police Department said they’ve gotten creative and made fake packages with trackers in them to try and stop criminals.
“You may be stealing their amazon package, or you may be stealing a trap that we’ve set out in an Amazon box," said Chief Blanchard.
Chief Blanchard said if you are caught stealing a package, those charges depend on the dollar amount of the item, and on top of that, stealing a package is a felony alone.
“It’s not the right thing that you want to be doing out there, especially this holiday season," said Chief Blanchard.
If your parcel comes through USPS or UPS and it is stolen, you can file claims through their website.
After having her items stolen, the woman I spoke to said this has made her change the way she receives mail.
“My husband and I are looking into getting a locked box," said the woman.
She said she posted the video of the guy stealing her packages and a neighbor said what looks like the same guy also stole items from them. She's also contacted the police, but no word yet if the person has been caught.
