Post-delivery package theft — aka “porch piracy” — creates a lot of havoc for retailers, delivery companies, and the consumers counting on getting their goods. In addition to inconvenience, the financial losses caused by these bandits can really add up — to the tune of a whopping $12 billion in the last year alone, according to a recent report from security.org.
Here, we’ll dig into that report, as well as one recently issued by the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) Office of Inspector General (OIG), which revealed the extent of this growing problem.
2024 Package Theft Annual Report and Statistics
Authored by Home- and Digital-Security Expert Matthew Adkins, the security.org report says the $12 billion loss is a result of the theft of 58 million packages last year. Such a number is fueled by online purchases that generated 22 billion packages in 2024, according to Pitney Bowes’ statistics cited in the report.
Although security.org has published similar reports in the past, Adkins says this year’s edition is the “most comprehensive report on the topic to date, designed to better diagnose and combat this problem.”
The study was conducted in late August 2024 during which time 11,000 adults from all 50 states were surveyed to “identify the breadth of the issue, the most vulnerable locations, and the most popular methods for battling the pirates…”
Key findings include:
- In the past year, porch pirates swiped $12 billion in packages, and up to 58 million Americans were affected.
- The highest rates of recent episodes of porch piracy occurred in Kentucky, North Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa, and Alaska.
- At some point in their lives, 25% of Americans have been victims of porch pirates, and “people of color are twice as likely to have a package stolen as White adults.”
- Compared to those living in homes, individuals living in apartments experience package theft at twice the rate.
- When it comes to precautions to prevent package theft, 14% of Americans take none, and over 40M people “admit to leaving their exterior doors unlocked while away from home.”
A crime of opportunity
An interesting point Adkins makes is that package theft is often about opportunity, rather than the level of crime in an area.
“Where parcels are numerous, unguarded, or exposed, incidents of piracy are likely to be higher regardless of overall crime rates,” he writes. “Accordingly, states with the most package theft don’t mirror those with the highest property crime rates. The unique nature of the crime also underscores the need for parcel precautions even in otherwise safe areas.”
It also makes sense that theft frequency and online shopping frequency seem to go hand in hand.
“Frequent online shoppers are more likely to fall prey to pirates,” Adkins says. “Consumers who place several online orders weekly were twice as likely to be victimized as those who place orders only a few times per year.”
Although too many Americans may not take enough precautions to fend off porch pirates, among those who do, the most common methods include:
- Schedule shipments for when you are home: 45%
- Doorbell camera: 38%
- Shop in-store or online with in-store pickup: 24%
- Security system: 20%
- Installed external lights or signs: 18%
- Have neighbors bring packages inside: 17%
- Ship packages elsewhere (workplace, access point, etc.): 14%
- Have packages delivered to someone else: 8%
- Leave work during breaks to bring deliveries inside: 6%
- Grant home access to delivery services (like Amazon Key): 3%
- None of these: 14%
“One final defense against incurring losses at the hands of porch pirates is to carry financial protection for the theft of precious packages,” Adkins adds. “Check your renter/homeowner policy to determine if you’re covered, or be sure to use credit cards that carry purchase protection online.”
He says preventing package theft doesn’t have to be complicated, and that generally, his company recommends three broad categories of prevention:
- Secure your home in some way — including the use of a security system and effective lighting in delivery areas.
- Avoid prolonged exposure of packages by various means — including asking neighbors for help, selecting delivery times when someone will be home, asking drivers to leave them in less-visible areas, using a package lockbox, and requiring a signature for delivery.
- Designate an alternate delivery location — where packages can be secured quickly and easily.
Adkins underscores the importance of reporting package theft to the police, though that’s something only 25% of porch pirate victims do. The vast majority (91%) report the crime somewhere, but often that’s to retailers or delivery companies.
Package Theft in the United States
In its report released May 15, the USPS OIG also described the burden of “last-mile package theft” for the “entire parcel delivery industry,” with impacts on consumers, retailers, and delivery providers.
In addition to the “substantial financial burdens and operational disruptions across the delivery and ecommerce ecosystems,” the report notes that package theft may also “erode consumer trust in ecommerce merchants, postal operators, and private delivery providers, particularly as these entities strategically navigate the rapid growth of ecommerce and its associated demands.”
And it’s a complex problem, USPS OIG says — partially because of what Adkins also pointed out: lack of centralized reporting.
“Because this theft occurs at the intersection of multiple stakeholders, it is a more complex issue than theft that happens under the direct control of an individual value chain actor,” according to the report. “While available data gives an indication of the scale of the problem, fragmented reporting practices and verification issues complicate efforts to understand the full scope of package theft, underscoring the need for improved data collection and analysis to better develop effective mitigation strategies.”
But USPS OIG says there are some “collaborative strategies” that can help address the problem, including:
- Offering and making use of flexible and secure delivery options
- Leveraging technology for enhanced tracking and theft prevention
- Utilizing discreet packaging and package delivery placement
- Sharing data and analytics on package theft
“Significant progress in reducing package theft could be made if stakeholders – including delivery providers, shippers, and law enforcement – worked more closely together in their efforts to safeguard consumers’ property,” according to the report. “… By uniting efforts across stakeholders, the delivery ecosystem can strengthen its resilience, ensuring a secure and reliable experience for all. For the Postal Service, effectively tackling this challenge is central to maintaining public trust, supporting the continued growth of e-commerce, and fulfilling its broader public service mission.”For more about federal and state efforts to address package theft and hold porch pirates accountable, please see the full report.
