“Porch pirates”—a term that has become all too familiar in the era of online shopping and home deliveries—are an ever-present menace in residential neighborhoods and apartment complexes. These opportunistic sneak thieves lurk around and target unattended packages left on doorsteps or porches, before swiftly making off with their theft proceeds.
Their audacity and efficiency seem to grow with each passing day. A striking example of their brazen tactics unfolded in broad daylight, as captured by a security camera at a home in Ohio as reported on fox59.com. The theft occurred on June 3, while Kyle Dorsch, 33, from Columbus, was anticipating the arrival of his new Apple smartwatch through FedEx.
Like any other online shopper, Dorsch eagerly awaited the arrival of his Apple Watch on that eventful day, unaware of the extraordinary events that were about to unfold. Based on the tracking details provided by the carrier website he saw the FedEx delivery truck pull up.
What happened next was beyond belief. The entire sequence captured on Dorsch’s doorbell security camera revealed: that the FedEx driver walked up the driveway before placing the package on the porch and knocking on the door. Within seconds, a stranger darts up the stairs from behind, startling the FedEx worker, and swiftly grabs the package before fleeing the scene.
Interestingly, the camera recorded the delivery driver walking up the driveway and a blue car stopping by the house just as the FedEx truck arrived. “We did notice that car down the street, probably 20 to 30 minutes before the truck came through the neighborhood, so they were aware the package was coming somehow,” Dorsch said.
In a typical scenario, it’s unimaginable that someone would have the nerve to steal a freshly delivered package right in front of the FedEx driver in the blink of an eye. Unfortunately, customer-focused delivery technology and tools like picture proof of delivery, FedEx Delivery Manager, and the FedEx mobile app were unable to prevent this opportunistic crime.
Contacting the Columbus police meant things would take their course, as he was informed it would take five to seven days for someone to get back to him. Eventually, his own investigation quickly uncovered that the stolen watch was listed for sale on Facebook Marketplace. After painstaking efforts, Dorsch’s personal initiative ultimately led to the item being blacklisted.
Fortunately for Dorsch, the stolen Apple Watch had been part of an AT&T upgrade, allowing him to replace it through an upgrade reversal. Despite this, the ordeal of reporting the theft to FedEx and providing AT&T with case numbers from both FedEx and the Columbus police is noteworthy.
This brings us to the question of how widespread the problem of stealing packages from doorsteps in the U.S. is.
Alarming statistics by security.org in their 2023 Theft Annual Statistics and Trends reveal that “Porch pirates stole $8 billion of goods in the past year, and most Americans are worried about securing their shipments this holiday season.” This highlights that package theft is more prevalent than we often recognize.
Take a moment to consider whether it’s worth your time and effort to deal with the aftermath of a package stolen from your porch, including contacting the carrier, involving the police, or taking other actions.
The first step in preventing future package delivery mishaps is to take proactive measures.
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In Dorsch's case, his loss of a $799 Apple smartwatch could have been avoided with a Stowfly subscription, saving him the time, effort, and frustration of navigating the resolution process.
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