PO Box NYC has long been seen as a safe alternative for residents who want to protect their deliveries. In a city where groceries, furniture, fashion, and electronics arrive at nearly every apartment building and brownstone each day, package security has never been more important.
Nationally, over 120.5 million packages were stolen in 2023, and Americans lost an estimated $16 billion to porch piracy(capitaloneshopping.com). Package theft is becoming a reality for many New Yorkers; six in ten households in the city were targeted last year, and the city topped national rankings for losses, with nearly $1 billion worth of packages stolen(safewise.com).
The NYPD has recorded 74 thousand complaints over the past five years(gothamist.com). These numbers reflect a growing crisis in a city famous for its density and doorsteps.
This article explores how the problem affects residents, what they are doing to cope, and why a hyperlocal service like Stowfly may offer a better solution than a traditional NYC PO box.
Porch piracy isn’t just an annoyance; it is a billion‑dollar problem. National research finds that one‑third of Americans experienced package theft in the past year, with victims losing an average of $132 per package(capitaloneshopping.com).
Local data show that about 80 % of households receive at least one package per week, and 20 % receive four or more; more than 90,000 packages are reported stolen or lost every day. A SafeWise report estimates that New York City lost roughly $945 million to porch piracy in 2023, and the city accounted for 9.22 million theft incidents, or 593 incidents per 1,000 households, ranking worst among U.S. metros(safewise.com).
The prevalence of theft has produced striking personal stories. In 2024, a Gothamist investigation placed GPS trackers in packages. One package left on a Greenwich Village stoop vanished overnight and traced a pretzel‑shaped route through the Holland Tunnel, Newark, Manhattan, and the Bronx.
Another package left in Queens was snatched within minutes and travelled through commercial corridors before settling only a few blocks away. According to criminologist Ben Stickle, package thieves are becoming increasingly brazen. “I see more videos where people are following delivery drivers … approaching victims and stealing a package out of their hands,” he told Gothamist.
New Yorkers have felt this escalation; one Queens resident recounted that a thief grabbed two 17‑pound bags of specialty dog food from her porch within three minutes of delivery. She later said that her neighbours continually report missed deliveries and lamented that police rarely respond(gothamist.com).
Despite the scale of theft, enforcement is minimal. Only 27 % of victims notify law enforcement, and there is only about a 1‑in‑17 chance that a reported theft will lead to an arrest(capitaloneshopping.com).
During the holiday season, calls to the police rise 45 %, yet the majority of crimes go unprosecuted. Mayor Eric Adams has described package theft as a “New York nightmare” and promised to end it(gothamist.com).
The city launched LockerNYC, installing free public lockers on sidewalks that can hold 25 packages each. By April 2025, there were 22 locker sites across Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens, with over 10,000 reservations and more than 1,400 registered users. Surveys indicate 70 % of users signed up to reduce the chance of package theft, and almost 65 % want more locker locations. Legislators are also considering tougher penalties: a 2025 state bill seeks to make porch piracy a felony.
Statistics only tell part of the story. Many residents share their experiences online, showing how pervasive and personal the problem is. A New York Reddit user described losing about $300 worth of packages in one month despite trying to be home for deliveries. After limited support from the seller, they filed a police report and pursued a claim through their credit card company.
Another user, living in an apartment building with a package lobby, complained of recurring thefts from the lobby and unresponsive management; the security cameras, if they existed at all, seemed useless. They contemplated installing their own camera but weren’t sure of the legality. Such stories highlight a recurring theme: victims rarely get satisfaction from carriers or building managers and are forced to look for work‑arounds.
In the Gothamist investigation, the story of Indira Maharaj resonated widely. She watched on her security feed as a courier delivered her pet food, and minutes later saw a man in a hoodie walk off with it. “Maybe three minutes after, this guy took the two bags of dog food, placed it on his shoulder and just walked away,” she said. She noted that package thieves often don’t know what they’re taking; for them, stealing is like a lottery.
Another bodega worker interviewed in the article said people frequently bring in goods he believes are stolen, hoping to sell them, yet he refuses to buy them and fears getting involved9gothamist.com). These anecdotes show how stolen goods circulate through informal markets and how everyday businesses become unwilling participants in the black market.
In a city of walk‑ups and doorman buildings, many residents rely on apartment lobbies, mailrooms or private PO boxes in NYC to receive deliveries. Yet these solutions present several problems:
These vulnerabilities make it clear that relying solely on NYC PO box or lobby is insufficient in a city where thieves are organized and opportunistic.
Different carriers have different policies, but all share common pain points: ambiguous proof of delivery, burdensome claim processes, and limited restitution.
Amazon’s ubiquity makes its parcels especially attractive to thieves. Amazon deliveries account for about one‑third of reported package thefts(safewise.com).
The Gothamist investigation found thieves shadowing delivery drivers and even snatching packages directly from customers’ hands. Yet the company remains opaque about the scale of the problem. When an Amazon package goes missing, Amazon differentiates between items sold by third‑party sellers and those sold directly by Amazon. Buyers must contact the seller first and, if unsatisfied, file an A‑to‑Z Guarantee claim The verification process can be lengthy, and refunds are only granted after Amazon completes its investigation. In the meantime, residents are left waiting, without a package and often without a clear resolution.
The U.S. Postal Service is responsible for nearly 18 % of stolen packages(safewise.com). USPS encourages customers to look around porches, garages, mailboxes, and other potential drop points before reporting USPS missing packages.
If a package still cannot be found after 24 hours, customers must send an online request to the local post office and wait two to three days for a follow‑up. This process places the burden on the victim and offers no guarantee of restitution. Even when customers file claims, national statistics show that only 14 % of package‑theft victims receive refunds from carriers(capitaloneshopping.com).
UPS packages account for about 16 % of stolen items(safewise.com). When a UPS package disappears, the company instructs customers to have the sender initiate the claim. The sender must provide invoices, receipts, and tracking information before UPS will begin an investigation.
Victims often find themselves stuck in a ping‑pong match between retailer and carrier. According to survey data, 25 % of victims never receive a refund for stolen items(capitaloneshopping.com). The complexity of the claim process for UPS lost packages discourages many from pursuing the matter.
FedEx shipments represent about 17 % of reported thefts(safewise.com). FedEx does offer an online claims process where customers can submit a form, upload supporting documents, and track the claim status.
However, the victim of FedEx stolen packages still must wait for the investigation and may be required to schedule an inspection of the theft site. For high‑value items, FedEx sometimes requires documentation that many consumers don’t have readily available. Without persistent follow‑up, victims risk never seeing compensation. Survey data show that 57 % of package‑theft victims contact the seller and 57 % contact the shipper, but only about 55 % get all of their money back or a replacement(valuepenguin.com).
Facing rampant theft, residents are experimenting with a range of solutions. Nationwide, 88 % of online consumers track their packages and 57 % stay home to receive deliveries. Roughly 46 % install cameras, while 17 % ask neighbors to bring packages inside. Only 20 % have parcels delivered to alternative addresses or pick‑up points and just 3 % use services that deliver inside the home, such as Amazon Key. Despite widespread adoption of cameras, 22 % of victims had a doorbell camera when the theft occurred and 38 % doubt that cameras deter thieves(capitaloneshopping.com). Video doorbells may provide evidence, but they seldom prevent theft.
Package lockers are a growing solution. Amazon operates over 900 Hub Locker locations and more than 1,500 Hub Counters at Rite Aid stores where customers can pick up parcels using a code(capitaloneshopping.com). In 2024 the city launched LockerNYC; by mid‑2025 the program had expanded to 22 lockers with strong demand.
While lockers are convenient for some, they require a trip to a specific location and may not be near every resident. Building concierges or doormen can receive packages, but many New Yorkers live in walk‑ups without staff. Relying on neighbors helps, but survey data show only 17 % of Americans regularly ask neighbors to bring packages inside(capitaloneshopping.com). Shipping insurance is another option: 23 % of Americans purchase insurance due to theft fears, and 86 % of them find it worthwhile(valuepenguin.com), though claims add extra steps.
The complexity of claims and the inability of cameras to deter (porch pirates) leave many feeling powerless. A survey by SafeWise found that one in four people do nothing to protect their packages, yet more than half worry about theft. After a theft occurs, only 31 % of victims file a claim with the shipping company and 29 % report it to the police, while 25 % never receive any reimbursement(valuepenguin.com). Cleveland has the highest incidents per capita, illustrating that repeat victims are common.
Carrier | Share of stolen packages |
Observations | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
Amazon | ≈33 % of stolen packages(safewise.com) | Ubiquity makes it the most targeted service; thieves expect items that can be used or resold. | SafeWise report(safewise.com) |
USPS | ≈18 % of stolen packages(safewise.com) | Delivery often to unsecured mailboxes or porches; claim process requires waiting and checking around. |
SafeWise report & Stowfly guide |
FedEx | ≈17 % of stolen packages(safewise.com) | Online claim process exists but requires documentation and inspections. | SafeWise report & Stowfly guide |
UPS |
≈16 % of stolen packages(safewise.com) |
Claims must be filed by sender; victims often bounce between retailer and UPS. |
SafeWise report & Stowfly guide |
These figures show that theft is not limited to any one carrier; thieves steal from all major delivery services. They also highlight why customers need a solution that doesn’t depend on carrier policies.
Amid the frustration, many New Yorkers are turning to Stowfly, a network of package receiving services which includes trusted local shops and small businesses like coffee shops, convenience stores, pharmacies, and neighborhood bodegas that operate as secure package receiving points.
Instead of using a traditional NYC PO box or risking an unattended lobby, customers can book a nearby Stowfly location as their delivery address. When a package arrives, a trusted and verified partner receives and stores it until the customer is ready to pick it up.
With over 1,000 pick‑up locations and a first month free promotion, Stowfly’s package storage service is designed to be both convenient and affordable. Subscription plans start at $7.50 per month for up to five packages and $15 per month for up to fifteen packages, with $1,000 of insurance coverage included in each booking.
This hyperlocal approach reduces delivery truck traffic, since multiple packages can be delivered to one spot instead of drivers making repeated trips to individual doorsteps. It also supports local economies, giving shop owners an additional revenue stream for providing the service. Customers benefit from flexible pick‑up hours, reliable package storage and the assurance that packages won’t be left unattended. In addition, the sense of community inherent in the model fosters trust: residents interact with local shopkeepers rather than anonymous parcel lockers.
Stowfly also dovetails with broader city initiatives. While programs like LockerNYC demonstrate that New Yorkers are willing to travel to collect packages to ensure their safety. However, lockers are scarce relative to the millions of daily deliveries. Stowfly’s network of community partners fills this gap, offering hundreds of locations across Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens and beyond. By diversifying delivery destinations, the service helps deter porch pirates who rely on predictable drop‑off patterns.
Finally, Stowfly integrates technology and insurance in ways that carriers often don’t. Each booking includes insurance coverage; customers receive notifications when packages arrive and can manage deliveries through our mobile optimized website. Because packages are held by vetted partners, there is a clear chain of custody, eliminating the ambiguity that often plagues carrier claim processes.
By taking packages off stoops and into trusted hands, Stowfly reduces the opportunity for theft, supports neighborhood commerce and gives residents peace of mind. In a city where nearly every doorstep is a potential target, this hyperlocal network may be the evolution that traditional PO Box NYC never managed to achieve.
Read this blog to know the best solutions for last-mile delivery: package pick-up NYC, Locker New York, or PO Box NYC