It's the most wonderful time of the year, especially if you're a porch pirate.

With more people shopping online this holiday season thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, there will be boxes galore on doorsteps for porch pirates to pick from.

Dakota News Now is reporting that porch pirates have accounted for $5.4 billion in thefts over the past year, according to a new survey taken by finder.com.

Studies have shown porch pirates that set sail throughout the year are more likely to hit homes in affluent neighborhoods. But regardless of where you live, you should be careful not leave packages unattended for long periods of time.

With the holidays fast approaching, more and more packages will be sitting on doorsteps and in apartment lobby areas. Experts predict online shopping to be up 11 percent over last year due to the pandemic.

The finder.com survey found more than two-thirds of all holiday shopping will involve home delivery of gifts this year.

That's a ton of temptation for porch pirates looking for five-finger discounts for their  Christmas gifts.

So how can you fend off an attack from a porch pirate? According to Dakota News Now, the story says you should consider getting a post office box, adding a home security camera system, or requiring a signature to release packages if at all possible.

Here's another interesting fact from the story, one in nine porch pirate victims admit to stealing packages themselves. Karma is a bitch, isn't it?

Source: Dakota New Now

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