8 ways to protect your packages from porch pirates (2024)

Here comes Amazon Prime Day 2024, which means that online shopping is kicking off and a surplus of package deliveries may begin showing up at your doorstep. Sadly, this means it’s also the perfect time for porch pirates to come calling and package theft to boom. All of the deals you're ordering during the massive shopping event literally become steals.

So, how can you prevent package theft at your front door? There are many ways you can keep those packages delivered safe (especially those that aren’t requiring a signature) without having to ever file a police report. Our ideas start with doorbell cameras and using delivery options like package tracking.

But first, what are porch pirates?

Security.org estimates that package thieves—aka porch pirates—have run off with more than $8 billion in merchandise in 2023 and that 17% of Americans had a package stolen during the busy holiday season last year.

Although porch piracy is widespread across the United States, the safety and security experts at SafeWise name Seattle, Memphis, San Diego, and Denver among the top 5 cities for package theft in 2023.

Fear of stolen packages is front of mind for many online shoppers, with SafeWise calculating that in 2023 “over 65% of Americans are more worried about package theft than they were a year ago.”

Preventative measures can make all the difference as Prime Day and all of the competing sales out there kick off. Here are our tips for preventing package theft so you can spend more time shopping and less time with law enforcement.

Tip 1: Install a video doorbell

A doorbell camera is just the start of a home security system. It’s the eyes and ears of your front door and it makes it really difficult for a porch pirate to steal a package without being seen.

The best video doorbells, like the Nest Doorbell (wired) and the Ring Video Doorbell (2020), you can do more than just hear and see what’s going on outdoors. Both of these doorbells are smart enough to send specific package delivery alerts to your phone, going above and beyond the general motion alerts found on most doorbell cameras.

Google’s Nest doorbell is one of the most specific, telling you when a package gets delivered and when it’s no longer in view (which could potentially alert you to a porch pirate if you’re not expecting any movement). The package detection feature comes free for up to three hours at a time with the Nest Doorbell (battery).

Only select Ring doorbells, like the (2020) model and the Ring Pro 2, can detect package deliveries. These two also have the unique capability to work alongside Alexa, allowing her to announce package deliveries via Echo speakers and smart displays.

Tip 2: Install an outdoor security camera

Where the video doorbell is one small element to a home security system, and outdoor security camera can catch potential package thieves before they reach the front door and give you the full view of what’s happening around your property.

With up to three hours of free video notification history, the Nest Outdoor Cam can detect package deliveries on your porch and people in your yard, depending on where you have it setup.

If you catch a porch pirate swiping a package from your front porch, you can create a video clip of the event to share. With a paid subscription to Nest Aware, the Nest Outdoor Cam is capable of continuous recording when plugged into a nearby electrical outlet. The benefit to 24/7 recording is that you can scroll back through your camera’s video history to see what happened, if a notification is missed.

Tip 3: Get an app-connected outdoor floodlight camera

During an event as busy as Prime Day, package delivery services may arrive at your home after the sun has gone down (or comes up, in some cases), which makes proper exterior lighting crucial to keep your packages safe.

Smart floodlight cameras like the Eufy Floodlight Cam 2 Pro can not only illuminate dark spots on your property, it also has recording capability, giving porch pirates the boot if they try to make off around the sides of your home with your packages.

Tip 4: Get a Wi-Fi-connected mailbox sensor

Some packages are small enough to fit in your mailbox, and therefore likely fall out of view of a nearby video doorbell camera.

Instead, you can use a smart sensor like the Ring Mailbox Sensor, which sends notifications to your phone when your mailbox opens and closes. This can help you know exactly when your smaller packages are delivered

Tip 5: Put up solar pathway lights

The more lights, the better, when it comes to properly illuminating your front door and the walkway leading up to. Path lights are the perfect way to do so.

Philips Hue makes our favorite smart bulb, and the Philips Hue Calla White & Color Ambiance Outdoor Pathway Light Base Kit is another great smart lighting option from Hue to light up your front yard.

At least one light must be plugged into an outdoor outlet to work, but you can connect multiple units to one another for shared power. Made from weather-proof materials, the lights last up to 25,000 hours (or roughly 1,041 days of continuous use). They can display 16 million colors (which can double for décor, too), and can be set to a timer in case your UPS, USPS, FedEx, or Amazon driver comes after dark.

The smart lights also work via voice control with Alexa, Google Assistant, and Apple HomeKit.

Tip 6: Have Amazon deliveries sent to an Amazon Hub Locker

Instead of Amazon packages piling up at your front door, opt to have the boxes left at a nearby Amazon locker. Your Amazon order will be securely stored until you are ready to pick them up.

Tip 7: Invest in a smart package delivery box

Instead of letting packages pile up on your front porch, a smart package delivery box is one way you can safeguard your deliveries from porch pirates if you're away for an extended period of time.

The Eufy Security Smart Delivery Package Drop Box has a built-in camera and can be managed remotely via the companion app, giving you the most details when it comes to securing your packages while you’re not home.

For a non-camera package delivery option, the Architectural Mailboxes Elephantrunk Parcel Drop Box offers a way to securely store larger package deliveries instead of leaving them out on your front porch. Most package delivery drop boxes are bolted to the ground to prevent porch pirates from removing the entire unit.

Tip 8: Use delivery options like package tracking

Going away for a while? There are a number of actions to take.

First, you may want to get in touch with the postal service to arrange to have your packages held until you return home.

Package tracking is also a fantastic option and comes as part of your purchase at most retailers, from Amazon down to direct-to-consumer. If you’re expecting a package to arrive from a delivery company like FedEx or UPS, you can ask a friend or relative to pop over and pick it up for you. It goes without saying, but looking out for your neighbors is one of the best ways to prevent packages from being stolen right off the front porch.

Not everyone has a neighbor who’s at home all day, so see if it’s OK to have your packages sent to your workplace.

There are also programs like Amazon Key, which allows an Amazon delivery person to leave packages inside your house and garage via a smart lock or smart garage door opener.

What to do if a package is stolen

There are a couple things to do if your package delivery has been stolen.

A first step is to reach out to the retailer and confirm that your package was actually delivered to the specified address, with photo or signature confirmation. If your package was delivered properly and is now missing, you can report the theft to local law enforcement. It’s possible that the retailer will issue a replacement product or a refund.

Then take precautionary measures, like these above, to prevent package theft in the future. A home security system and reaching out to trusted neighbors are solid bets.

Prices were accurate at the time this article was published but may change over time.