Good news: Your package has been delivered.

Bad news: It isn’t on your porch, under the mailboxes or in a package room, if you have one.

Unfortunately, your package might have been stolen by a porch pirate, like an estimated 120.5 million last year in the United States, according to a study by SafeWise.

More people shopping online during the holiday season means more packages — and an increased risk of theft. This year, holiday spending is expected to reach a record high of $902 per person, with 57 percent of adults opting to shop online, according to a survey by the National Retail Federation. E-commerce sales have ramped up in recent years, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic, increasing 43 percent in 2020 over the previous year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

“Most package theft is going to be a crime of opportunity,” said Ben Stickle, a professor of criminal justice administration at Middle Tennessee State University who has done research on package thefts. “And then, a package being left unguarded, where a thief can see it, is just kind of an open invitation to take it.”

To thwart thieves, some people are rerouting packages to lockers or rerouting themselves to be home for the delivery. Others are moving to luxury buildings, not for high-end amenities like IV drips, but for more practical ones, like package rooms. Of course, the ease of having packages delivered directly to your door is already a luxury. Without the looming threat of theft, it’s that much more luxurious.

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