New twist: Porch pirates don Amazon vests to steal packages

Porch pirates now are wearing official-looking gear to steal packages from people’s front doors. Photo by RDNE Project/Pexels

There’s a new wrinkle in the Porch Pirate business.

The New Castle County Division of Police says that residents are having packages delivered and shortly after the delivery is made, an individual, sometimes wearing an Amazon vest, quickly runs up to the package and steals it.

It’s also a trend across the country, the police said.

As always, police said, if residents see something suspicious, they could call and report it to 911 or the non-emergency number, (302) 573-2800.

Anti-porch pirate tips

Residents also may want to take steps to make their purchases less available, police said:

• Opt to require a signature for all package deliveries. Residents should review the delivery options at “check-out” and if there is an option, leave specific delivery instructions for the delivery company on where to leave packages.
• Consider sending the package to a family member or trusted neighbor who is home during the day to accept the delivery.
• Use the “pick-up at store” option for merchandise.
• Pick-up packages at a local UPS or FedEx location.
• Amazon also offers locker locations spread throughout communities where packages can be left with a code to get them. Convenient locations include grocery stores.

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