Porch piracy has emerged as one of the most prevalent urban crimes throughout the United States, and New York City, particularly Brooklyn, has emerged as one of the hotspots. As online retailing accelerated, the ease of doorstep delivery has been a magnet for an entirely new breed of criminal: the porch pirate.
These bandits hang around apartment buildings' entrances, stoops, and lobbies, and wait for deliverymen to leave parcels unattended. The consequences? Stolen packages, missed deliveries, and endless headaches for residents of the city.
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Brooklyn's concentration of brownstones, walk-ups, and multi-family dwellings makes it a soft target for porch pirates. Delivery drivers often leave packages outside when no one's home, and that's an ideal invitation to thieves.
Add to that the booming popularity of e-commerce and delivery apps, and you’ve got a perfect storm. Every day, couriers from FedEx, UPS, and USPS deliver hundreds of packages per block. With this constant activity, it’s easy for a thief to blend in, grab a box, and disappear.
Residents tend to complain about missed packages, lost packages, Amazon missing packages or USPS missing packages, UPS lost packages, never knowing when and how they went missing. In certain suburbs, security footage commonly indicates open thieves brazenly making off with deliveries during the day.
In a huge 2024 bust, 13 individuals were nabbed in connection with a porch piracy ring that lifted thousands of iPhones. The ring scraped FedEx tracking numbers by using software and paid AT&T employees for delivery information. Shipments were routed to a cell phone repair store in Brooklyn (Wyckoff Wireless) and shipped abroad. (The Wall Street Journal)
This case is indicative of how porch piracy has evolved to become more sophisticated and technology-based, pushing cases of FedEx stolen packages to a new level, and not opportunistic.
In September 2024, a Commack (suburban NYC) woman claimed an iPhone was swiped by a suspect carrying an imposter Amazon delivery vest. They dropped a decoy package, a close-up view of just how brazen and devious porch pirates have grown.( News 12 - Default)
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One Brooklyn resident has been hit by more than 50 porch pirate and trespassing cases within two years. Frustrated with waking up to stolen goods, ranging from firewood to tools, they started using cameras and documenting the mayhem online.
Turning Frustration into Awareness
Angered but resolute, they made the experience into a means of creative revenge, opening up an Instagram page specifically to highlight the mayhem. The page includes footage of individuals swiping packages (sometimes obvious bait boxes), destroying the yard, and stealing random, useless items just for the sake of it.
With now over 50 videos recording these strange encounters, it's almost ridiculous, but actually funny, to see one after another thief get caught out by the same tricks.
One morning, for example, they narrate that a neatly stacked pile of firewood disappeared overnight, only to be replaced strangely with a couple of old hockey sticks, as if someone had conducted a strange, unwanted swap in the middle of the night.
Their first real package theft heist was in 2023, when an Amazon package was swiped during the daytime. The whole incident was recorded on their front door camera, and things were only starting to get weird and wild.
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One of the most notable instances was when an Amazon delivery person was caught on camera in February 2025 swiping a decoy iPhone Pro Max box that the homeowner had set out.
[removed][removed]In a second example, a package of bait was equipped with an alarm device. The porch pirate was frightened away by a neighbor walking by, and another dropped the box in the middle of the heist when the alarm sounded.
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In addition to package burglaries, homeowner cameras have recorded several instances of strangers entering their yard to steal or mess with outdoor items, a sobering reminder of how prevalent and intrusive porch piracy has become in city neighborhoods.
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The Financial Toll of Theft
The estimated value of the crime of theft in New York in 2025 is approximately $1.47 billion, or about $70 per city resident, according to tangible economic losses. The cost of theft is approximately 0.1% of the median household income for the city, comparatively tiny as a percentage but gigantic in terms of magnitude for a city with millions of residents. (Source: CrimeGrade.org)
Theft Continues to Exist Even After Overall Crime Decreases
Even as overall crime rates in NYC continue to drop, theft continues to be stubbornly endemic. According to the NYPD's most recent CompStat report (late September 2025), grand larceny, a category that encompasses much package thievery, represented 108,487 complaints for a recent 28-day period.
Citywide index crimes (which encompass murder, robbery, burglary, and theft) have been steadily decreasing during 2025:
Likewise, declining trends persisted over the subsequent months
Source: New York City Government)
These optimistic figures notwithstanding, property crime such as porch piracy remains a chronic city affliction, particularly in heavily populated boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens.
Federal Action Could Increase the Stakes for Burglars
On the legislative side, there is an effort on policy to crack down on package theft. U.S. Rep. Dean Phillips has reintroduced again the "Porch Pirates Act", a bill that would apply the same punishment to stealing privately delivered packages (like UPS, Amazon, or FedEx deliveries) as to theft of U.S. Postal Service mail. (Source: CCX Media)
If enacted, the Porch Pirates Act would criminalize stealing UPS or Amazon packages at the federal level, increasing the consequences for prospective thieves, and marking a greater awareness of just how widespread the issue has become.
Secure Pickup Options Across NYC
In 2025, some NYC stores started installing GoLocker parcel lockers, providing residents with convenient, self-service pickup locations for online purchases. Package lockers keep unattended packages from sitting out in the open.(Source: Yahoo)
Complementary Solutions: Stowfly's Package Receiving Services
In addition to parcel lockers, secure package receiving services such as Stowfly are on the rise throughout Brooklyn and New York City, providing package storage sites.
You can send your Amazon, UPS, FedEx, or USPS packages to nearby partner businesses for safekeeping with Stowfly, eliminating entirely the threat of missed or stolen packages. Benefits of utilizing package receiving services include:
1. Convenient Neighborhood Pickup Points
Stowfly simplifies receiving packages with a network of secure local businesses that act as safe pickup locations. Users can select a location on their way home, to work, or for their daily commute, no necessity for lengthy travels to post offices or mailboxes.
2. Reasonable and Customizable Plans
At $7.50 for up to five packages or $15 for up to fifteen, Stowfly is an affordable option for securing deliveries without breaking the bank.
3. Works with All Major Carriers
Amazon, FedEx, UPS, or USPS, any package can be sent to one Stowfly address. Fewer missed deliveries and less confusion about which carrier delivered which package, for example.
4. Human Touch at Every Location
In contrast to locker systems, package receiving services are operated by store employees. This human touch streamlines the process and provides an element of community and trust.
5. Simple, Clear Pickup Process
Every spot has evident signage and simple directions, so there is no confusion. If a package is delivered, users are given a special pick-up PIN they can pass along to another if necessary for picking up their packages, ideal for hectic schedules or shared residences.
Companies such as Stowfly introduce community-first package security in a convenient, accessible pick-up format without the use of complicated technology or apps. With safe, secure, and people-first service, Stowfly simplifies online shopping for all, providing comfort in a world where doorstep deliveries are not always safe from wandering.
Discover a Stowfly location near you and try a simpler, hassle-free approach to receiving your packages securely.
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