Has Anyone Stolen One Of Your Packages Lately

[oldgamerz]

In my neighborhood there are some people carrying empty karts or baby strollers, and it's making me uneasy and not want to order any packages in the mail worth any value.

I mean ever since COVID 19 people are always walking by riding their bikes, or walking their dogs, although I have not gotten a package stolen yet (knocks on wood) a lot of people are carrying baskets, and strollers  around and  are making me paranoid, and mad.




Previously I said the following on another thread, but note the following text is old.

(OFF TOPIC REPLY) (about stolen packages read)

Partially I think the reason for some people losing their packages is because of various crime organizations or cyber criminals who are local to just about everyone in the United States and drive around and hack people and track some peoples delivery information. and steal your package at the right time.

I hate these scumbags, but I think that most of them are local hackers in your area who are using your WIFI and computers to gain access to your shipping information.

And, Without the correct security on your devices, they can even be hacked as long as you have them plugged into a power plug.

if someone is stealing your packages then tell the police so maybe the good hackers can find out who is doing all the crime.

Sometimes law enforcement has the tools needed to track local hackers or package thieves.

All a hacker or hackers need to do is look at your browsers history and a park a vehicle, either in front of your home with a cell phone, or laptop, or down the block from your place.  and then log onto your own personal internet. you could also try a surveillance  system for your home or yard also.

[bikingjahuty]

Nope thank goodness. I live on a very quiet street that barely gets any through traffic outside the people that live in and around it. There are plenty of busier places just a mile away where package thieves would look first.

[ferraroso]

I don't think I understand the concept of "package thieves"... Do these people attack the delivery workers and steal things from them, or does it mean that, where you guys live, the delivery companies just leave boxes unattended in front of your house whenever there's no one home to receive the items you ordered?

[oldgamerz]

I don't think I understand the concept of "package thieves"... Do these people attack the delivery workers an steal things from them or, does it mean that, where you guys live, delivery companies just leave boxes unattended in front of your house whenever there's no one home to receive the shippments?

Most of the time it's when the delivery people leave something on your walkway or outside steps. Especially if nobody appears to be home, some people usually someone you do not know. Will try to creep up to your front door and try to take the package. I don't think too many postal workers get robbed, because they can always report to the police or post office if someone robs them.

Someone now could wear a mask and even with a camera you nothing much you can do

[emporerdragon]

I don't think I understand the concept of "package thieves"... Do these people attack the delivery workers and steal things from them, or does it mean that, where you guys live, the delivery companies just leave boxes unattended in front of your house whenever there's no one home to receive the items you ordered?

The latter. America is too big to have a solid infrastructure for receiving packages beyond leaving it at the door. For instance, where I am, I would either need to be home between the hours of 10am-8pm or take a 30-40 minute trip to get a package if it weren't left on my porch. Urban areas are more equipped like what's seen in Europe, but once you get into the suburbs or rural areas, it just isn't really feasible or convenient.

[jdkw50]

I order a ton of stuff online and live in an apartment so most of my packages do not fit in the mailbox. Luckily, every delivery the mailman knocks on the door and notifies me that he has left the package on the floor which lets me pick it up immediately.

In Canada, in the event that nobody is home to receive the package, generally we get a little slip notifying us that the package has been left at a nearby postal office for pickup (I assume this is done in the States too?). This eliminates the possibility of porch pirates jacking your stuff.

For anyone that buys expensive or a high volume of products online I might suggest maybe investing in a front porch cam to record all activity/crimes. Or just large glaring signs saying like "you are being recorded" to scare off thieves.

[tripredacus]

I've lived in the city for over 15 years but I never get packaged delivered to my home. Up until a few years ago, I used a mail drop. Only recently I've switched over to getting packages sent to my office.

[fighterpilot562]

I shave my head and most of my face daily, so I buy nice razors because it makes for a better shave. So I ordered a new set of 4 replacement blades because I needed some new ones. Well about a month ago someone stole it off my porch... Amazon re sent the order but I had to wait an extra week shaving with older blades....

[emporerdragon]

In Canada, in the event that nobody is home to receive the package, generally we get a little slip notifying us that the package has been left at a nearby postal office for pickup (I assume this is done in the States too?).

In the US, that's done only if the package requires a signature (which is also not common in the US) or if the package cannot physically be placed by the front door or mailbox.

[pzeke]

Repost from Worst eBay experience:

Worst experiences are 3 items that got lost during shipping in 6 years but they where all signed in for insured but it always takes a month to get the insurance money

I bought three games from an European seller, and after waiting for them for nearly a month, they got jacked from my mailbox almost in front of the mailman. Long story short, the mailman parked in front of my house, left the package in the mailbox, then came someone and lifted the package while passing by my house...while the mailman was driving off. Now, I am surmising all this, because when I went outside to get the package, the neighbor told me he saw someone taking something out of the mailbox. And while we were having this conversation there was this person walking away quite suspiciously seemingly holding something against their chest with their arms crossed. I remember pointing to this individual and essentially yelling at my neighbor asking if that was the person that took the package given the suspicious behavior. Everything went by so fast, that by the time I came to and decided to just run to this person and see, it had disappeared. Then, a week or so later, I was in the kitchen and heard someone opening my mailbox, looked through the window and saw this dyke (apologies for the term) going by. I remember jutting my face through the window and yelling, "I caught you, bitch!" as she passed by. She didn't look, but did hasten her stride. Suffice to say, my mailbox sports a lock ever since this incident. First time ever I got a package stolen, too.

Ever since that incident, I'm ever more vigilant whenever I'm expecting a package. I've been considering getting a parcel drop box, but due to the current circumstances and the fact I stopped buying online altogether, I haven't entertained the idea any further.

[tpugmire]

As a delivery driver myself, there’s a few things you can do to minimize package theft.
1. Give us a place to try and hide it. Put a large planter or some kind of decoration out that we can hide a package behind.
2. Make sure your house number is visible from the road. I don’t want to guess if I’m at the right house or not. Believe it or not, some “stolen packages” weren’t stolen at all, just delivered to the wrong place.  Don’t make my job more difficult than it has to be.
3. Get to know your drivers if you can.  I have a bunch of regular customers that I’ll go out of my way to help if I can. If you see us deliver a package, say thanks.
4. Get to know your trustworthy neighbors. This is important, especially in high traffic areas, apartment complexes, etc.  Let them know if you’re expecting something valuable, so there’s more sets of eyes looking for it.

Nothing is foolproof, shit can and will happen, but these things will help.

[aliensstudios]

Strangely enough my new neighborhood has cluster boxes for each street so most of my packages go in that. I always thought those boxes were only used for apartments and condos but I guess I was wrong. Since my box needs a key, theft isn't an issue for most of the stuff I order. UPS, Fed Ex and Amazon still all deliver to the front doors of houses, but I live in a decent enough area that the likelihood of somebody stealing an item from your front porch is very minimal. There are many much larger more expensive neighborhoods nearby that I think would be more likely targets of thieves.

[oldgamerz]

As a delivery driver myself, there’s a few things you can do to minimize package theft.
1. Give us a place to try and hide it. Put a large planter or some kind of decoration out that we can hide a package behind.
2. Make sure your house number is visible from the road. I don’t want to guess if I’m at the right house or not. Believe it or not, some “stolen packages” weren’t stolen at all, just delivered to the wrong place.  Don’t make my job more difficult than it has to be.
3. Get to know your drivers if you can.  I have a bunch of regular customers that I’ll go out of my way to help if I can. If you see us deliver a package, say thanks.
4. Get to know your trustworthy neighbors. This is important, especially in high traffic areas, apartment complexes, etc.  Let them know if you’re expecting something valuable, so there’s more sets of eyes looking for it.

Nothing is foolproof, shit can and will happen, but these things will help.

This is good advice, I'm always polite to postal workers, when and if I see them. Back in 2015 delivery left a package with a Playstation 3 lying on the middle of the walkway. I was lucky to have found that in time, but back then my neighborhood was more secure.

Some other people moved in and screwed everything up. I live on a main street, ever since my new neighbors moved in, there has been multiple stolen property dumped on my lawn, I reported the finding and lucky by doing so I was able to get someones bike back to it's owner, someone also robbed someone and put someone ID and personal information in my trash cans also.

[oldgamerz]

Strangely enough my new neighborhood has cluster boxes for each street so most of my packages go in that. I always thought those boxes were only used for apartments and condos but I guess I was wrong. Since my box needs a key, theft isn't an issue for most of the stuff I order. UPS, Fed Ex and Amazon still all deliver to the front doors of houses, but I live in a decent enough area that the likelihood of somebody stealing an item from your front porch is very minimal. There are many much larger more expensive neighborhoods nearby that I think would be more likely targets of thieves.

I live in a lower middle class neighborhood, and I don't think it is secure anymore, I think my neighborhood is a target because of all the trashy people that live nearby, people dress up and stuff when approaching my bank wearing fake disguises, I only can hope that these people are under cover police and not people with ill intent.

I used to live in a much worse neighborhood in 2007

[ferraroso]

In Canada, in the event that nobody is home to receive the package, generally we get a little slip notifying us that the package has been left at a nearby postal office for pickup (I assume this is done in the States too?). This eliminates the possibility of porch pirates jacking your stuff.

A very similar thing happens here in Japan. You get a slip and you can either contact the carrier and ask them to deliver your stuff another time (or another address) or you can go and pick the item at there storage facility by yourself. If you have no means to do either, you can always ask them to deliver your correspondence at a 24h convinence store (like a 7-11 or a Family Mart) and go there to pick your packages...

Even when I lived in Brazil, I don't remember to ever have a package left unattended at my doorsteps, and Brazil is as big as the US and my hometown is far from being urban... Haha