What is Porch Piracy?

Porch piracy, also known as delivery theft, is a rampant problem in e-commerce today. ​These opportunistic criminals prey on the convenience of home delivery, snatching packages from doorsteps before the rightful owners can retrieve them. As online shopping continues to grow, this crime has become increasingly prevalent. Devices like Ring cameras have brought light to the magnitude of package theft with video evidence. 

The Scope of the Problem

These thefts can occur anytime, anywhere, and you or someone you know has likely been a victim of package theft. Here are some alarming stats to paint the picture:

• 1 in 5 Americans will have a package stolen in the next 90 days
• 3 out of 4 households that had stolen packages, were targeted again
• Over $8 billion worth of merchandise has been stolen in the last year

Beyond the immediate financial loss, porch piracy can have several negative effects:

• Inconvenience and frustration for consumers
• Increased costs for merchants to right the situation
• Erosion of trust in online shopping and delivery services

Combating Porch Piracy

For merchants, the following strategies can help get your packages to your customer:

1. Require Signatures: For high value items, request signature confirmation to ensure packages aren't left unattended.
2. Proactively Screen Orders: Use Machine Learning models to help predict risky addresses to make informed shipping decisions and mitigate risk.
3. Provide Alternative Delivery Options: Use lockers or similar secure pickup locations.
4. Allow Scheduled Deliveries: Let consumers decide when they want packages to be delivered to optimize days and times that they will be home to ensure receipt.

For consumers, consider these strategies to keep your packages safe:

1. Track Your Packages: Check tracking services to know exactly when your package will arrive.
2. Install Security Devices: Visible security cameras or video doorbells can deter thieves and provide evidence if a theft occurs.
3. Use Package Lockboxes: Secure containers that delivery personnel can access to leave packages safely.
4. Network with Neighbors: Create a community watch system where neighbors look out for each other's deliveries.

Conclusion

As e-commerce continues to grow, porch piracy remains a significant concern. By staying informed and incorporating the above measures, merchants can help ensure their orders make it to their customers. Dealing with the stolen packages after they have happened is a headache and costly. So deal with it before it can even happen with Deliverlitics’ risk-scoring model. Learn more about how Deliverlitics’ is leveraging AI to combat porch piracy here.