Did you indulge in Black Friday and Cyber Monday shopping?
Did you do all of your Christmas shopping online?
Did you choose home delivery at the checkout?
If you clicked 'yes' to that option, you may want to take all measures to ensure your new laptop, drone or sweater don't get plundered by porch pirates.
Just like what happened to Tara, a Burnaby resident who was victimized recently by what she thinks were porch pirates.
The Brentwood-area resident was expecting a large delivery at her home with all of her Christmas shopping so far but the packages have all disappeared.
“They stole all of my Christmas shopping,” she said. “I wanted to avoid the malls this year due to COVID-19 so I went all in on this and now I’ve paid a heavy price. People need to be aware this is happening.”
RCMP in several cities have received reports of increased property theft involving delivery packages left unattended by homes as Christmas gets closer.
"Making purchases online has become the new normal. Falling victim to theft should not be," explains RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Paige Kuz in a news release.
"We want to make sure that your loot gets into your hands and not those of a 'Porch Pirate.'"
In the video attached to this story, a man is seen taking an apparent package from a home and was caught on camera from the owner's surveillance system.
The unknown thief appears to be working alone as he's seen walking further down the street.
Cpl. Kuz adds digital surveillance cameras, when strategically installed near doorways, are of big help to porch pirate investigations and can also act as a deterrent for potential thieves.
Mounties have provided the following tips to prevent delivery theft at your own home when unattended:
- Track the package
- Ask a neighbour to keep an eye out
- Request that a signature be required
- Send your packages to your workplace
- Install security cameras (i.e., doorbell cameras)
- Sign up for online accounts with Canada post, or third party locations that can accept packages on your behalf
- Report stolen packages to police
- With additional reporting by Kyle Balzer
