Your Money Jax: Tips on how you can protect yourself from porch pirates

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Action News Jax Phil Amato goes over the basic things you can do to protect yourself against porch pirates.

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This is the time of year when police say people really need to protect their deliveries, and there are three specific precautions people often don’t bother to take.

One of the easiest solutions to stop porch pirates is to have your package delivered to your work, or if it’s Amazon, one of its pick-up locations.

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Corie Wagner with Security.org said there are three easy things you can do to protect yourself. First, if you have a doorbell camera or a home security system, make it clear your property is under surveillance. It won’t necessarily stop the thief, but it could be enough to drive someone away.

“It’s a crime of opportunity, so basically, the more opportunities there are for someone to steal, the more thefts are likely to happen,” Wagner explained.

You should also bring your packages in as soon as you can. If you’re away for long hours, have them delivered to work, a relative’s house or pick them up in the store.

“If I ordered a new iPhone, I would maybe think twice about when it’s going to be delivered. Am I going to be there?” Wagner said.

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Finally, schedule your shipments wisely. Use the tracking number to monitor where your package is and insist on a signature upon delivery, so the package isn’t left lying around.

Some of these tips sound like common sense and are very easy to do.

But, Security.org found nearly 20% of all online shoppers take no precautions at all for their online deliveries, so don’t make that mistake.

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