How Often are Delivered Packages Stolen?

As 8 in 10 Amercians now shop online, home package delivery is rising fast and furiously. With this increase in parcels at the doorstep, package theft has also been on the rise.  Frank Albergo, president of the Postal Police Officers Association, recently said, "Mail theft is at epidemic proportions; it's never been higher."

The Report on Package Theft

According to a 2020 C+R Research study, here are the latest stats on stolen packages:

• 43% of Americans have been a victim of package theft
• 61% say they know someone who has had a parcel taken
• 43% say they know a neighbor who was victimized
• $136 is the average cost of a stolen package

Package Theft Interest Continues to Rise

Taking a close look at Google trends, it shows that interest in package theft on the web has continuously risen over the last year. 

source: Google Trends

According to Google search data, there was a significant spike in people searching for “stolen package” related keywords when the pandemic initially broke out.

In fact, these searches were higher than at any non-holiday time since Google Trends first made this data public in 2004. In addition, the data showed a 1.7 times increase in interest for these terms since May 2019 and  a 2 times increase since May 2018.  

Law Enforcement Policies Show the Shift

In Bellevue, Washington, police saw a 72% increase in mail theft in November 2020 compared to the previous year. With similar police reports like this streaming in from across the country, law enforcement departments, like the ones in Everett and Spokane, Washington, are reacting with additional techniques to deter package theft and catch perpetrators. Within the last year, Texas, Michigan and Oklahoma have all enacted stronger legislation to punish porch pirates and South Carolina and New Jersey are likely to follow. 

Rise in Package Theft Prevention Reveals the Problem

As 52% of Americans were worried a package would be stolen during the holiday season, they prepared to prevent the possibility in a number of ways. In fact, 64% survey by C+R Research said they would stay at home to wait for their items to be delivered. Here’s a breakdown of other ways they chose to prevent porch thieves:

The Lockable Package Box Emerges for Prevention

While there are several ways in which people are preventing package theft, the lockable package box is perhaps the best and most convenient way to ensure packages will always be protected.  It’s kind of like a mailbox for your delivered goods. You’ll see a handful of these in the market, but the clear market leader in terms of quality and ease-of-use is DeliverySafe.

You just place it on your front porch or driveway, then give the delivery driver a key code to open it and place packages in it. Its ice pack version also has the bonus of standing in as a cooler for perishable groceries that are delivered while you’re away.

More from the The Ultimate Report on Package Theft in America:

How Often are Delivered Packages Stolen? As 8 in 10 Americans now shop online, home package delivery is rising fast and furiously. With this increase in parcels at the doorstep, package theft has also been on the rise. So how common is package theft? View
Where and When does Package Theft Occur? Which US metro areas and states have the highest interest in package theft? How does the proximity of a residence or business relate to higher incidences? And what is the most prevalent time of day and year for porch piracy? We answer these questions and more here. View
Who are the Victims of Package Theft and are You at Risk? How much do we know about the victims of package theft? And are you at risk? Although there isn’t a lot of crime data on this, there are some conclusions to be drawn in looking at relevant data and a few studies. View
Who Steals Delivered Packages and How Do They Do It? You’ve probably heard of “Porch Pirates”, the catchy phrase used to describe criminals who steal packages from porches. There are plenty of gotcha videos about them on YouTube catching them in the act, and they always find their way in the news around the Holidays.  But who are these porch pirates, and how do they steal packages? View
Who is Responsible for Package Theft and What is Being Done About it? “Why me?” is likely exclaimed by many Americans who are victims of package theft. Ultimately, the question is: Who is responsible for package theft and what is being done about it? Although there isn’t a clear answer, taking a closer look at some of the key aspects might help. View
How can Package Theft be Prevented? Despite some retailers and package delivery companies making an effort to stop porch piracy, much of this burden is still put on the consumer. So with this in mind, here are some ways you can prevent package theft. View
What is the impact of Package Theft on Online Shopping? Around 35.5 million Americans have had a package stolen, adding up to an estimated $5.4 billion in losses. So what is the overall impact to purchasing behavior, retailer revenue, and consumer trust in online shopping? View
4 Steps to Take When a Package is Stolen More than 40% of Americans have felt the sting of package theft. After they discover the package is missing and experience the frustration that comes with it, the question that arises next is: What do I do now? To this end, here are 4 steps to consider if a package is stolen from the doorstep. View
A Complete Look at Package Theft Statistics We know that porch pirates are on the prowl in the US. There are enough reports on Twitter, YouTube and other forums to prove this. There are some significant studies, surveys and reports that have been conducted to get a clearer understanding of the key statistics related to parcel theft. For convenience's sake, we’ve compiled data from the variety of sources available here. View