Tips for Preventing Porch Pirates From Stealing Your Christmas

On Monday I placed three different orders from Target all on the same day. I don't even want to talk about how many orders I have recently placed on Amazon.

I bring this up only to prove that shopping online is the cool way to buy your gifts in 2020 according to health experts.

Ordering online and picking it up at a locally owned business would be my ideal shopping experience in 2020, but unfortunately, no Rockford stores carry the Baby Alive Grow Up doll my kids are begging for this Christmas.

Let's get back to the point here...

With the amount of online shopping going on thanks to COVID-19, the amount of time it takes to get your delivery isn't the only thing increasing, so are the porch pirates on the prowl to steal your packages.

So...what can we do to avoid falling victim to these nasty Grinches?

Here's a few tips from safety.com;

• Put up outdoor security cameras and/or video doorbells
• If you are not home during the day, have your packages delivered somewhere else like your work.
• Place a home security sign in your yard. (FYI, you can buy one online even if you don't have a home security service)
• Use an Amazon locker. I didn't even know these existed, but all you need to do is select a locker for shipping when you checkout and then you will receive a passcode to retrieve your package at one of Amazon's local facilities. And...there's no fee to utilize this service!
• Request that a signature is required upon delivery.
• Make sure your front porch is clear and visible.
• Request nondescript packaging so porch pirates don't know exactly what the package is.

If you do fall victim to porch pirates this holiday season, safety.com also has some tips for handling the situation. Read more about that here.

Catch Lil Zim on ‘Q98.5 Mornings with Lil Zim & JB’ on Q98.5 from 6:00 a.m. to 10 a.m. Follow her on Twitter, Instagram, and  Facebook