2026-10-27
Package Theft Checklist: Protect Every Delivery
Holiday deliveries are already picking up, and so are porch pirates. A visible package on a porch is an easy target, but most thefts are crimes of opportunity. As a licensed security officer in Florida, I use the same thinking at home that I use on a post: reduce visibility, shorten exposure time, and have a plan if something goes wrong.
This checklist covers before, during, and after delivery.
1. Before you order: set the delivery up right
- Turn on tracking alerts. Delivery notifications tell you the moment a package arrives, so it does not sit out for hours.
- Choose a safer delivery option. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service advises customers to use Hold for Pickup at the local Post Office, or the USPS Hold Mail service when away from home, instead of leaving parcels unattended.
- Ask for signature confirmation on valuable items. The Inspection Service lists Signature Confirmation and Registered Mail as ways to make sure a shipment ends up in the right hands.
- Give a specific drop-off spot. A side door, a covered porch, or a lockbox is better than the front steps facing the street.
2. Make your porch a harder target
- Keep the porch visible and lit. A motion light and a clear view from the street leave a thief nowhere to work unseen.
- Use a video doorbell or porch camera. The Inspection Service advises making sure any camera system captures activity at the front door and mailbox. If you want one, a video doorbell is a simple place to start.
- Bring packages in promptly. The Inspection Service's first rule is simple: do not leave delivered mail and packages unattended. If you cannot be home, ask a trusted neighbor to collect them.
3. If a package is stolen: act fast
- Confirm it was actually delivered. Check the tracking record and any camera footage before filing a report.
- Save the video and report it. If a camera caught the theft, contact your local police department, and report mail-related crime to the Postal Inspection Service at 1-877-876-2455 or at USPIS.gov/report.
- Contact the seller or carrier right away. A police or Inspection Service report number helps the claim.
- Watch for the follow-up scam. Never click a link in an unexpected "delivery problem" text. Check tracking only through the carrier's official app or website.
The takeaway
Shorten the time a package sits outside, make your porch visible, and know who to call if one goes missing. For the same routine inside the house, see my Home Security Checklist: 12 Habits That Stop Most Burglars.
Sources: U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Mail & Package Theft; USPS, Package Protection.
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