Right about now, some folks are just now getting their Christmas presents that were ordered too late to reach various destinations before the holiday... or the week after... or the week after that. But most of them have arrived in what mail officials saw as a tsunami of packages during the COVID-19 pandemic.

However, some of those packages were never seen by their intended recipients. The packages made it the front door of their house, but then disappeared. Someone simply stepped up the porch, grabbed the package and walked or ran away. They're called "Porch Pirates," and the crime happens all year, not just at Christmas.

C+R Research, of Chicago, surveyed about 2,000 online shoppers and came up with confirmation of a growing problem in the US.

In a news release, the company said 59 percent of Americans get package deliveries every week. And, an amazing 43 percent of them had a package stolen in 2020. The company has seen the thefts growing over the years with 31 percent in 2018 and 36 percent in 2019. And many of them had been "hit" more than once.

Matt Zajechowski of Digital Third Coast included a number of ways to help stop the pirates - Be at home when the delivery is scheduled to arrive. If there's a "brick-and-mortar" affiliate store nearby, have the package sent there for in-store pickup. Another tip - request a signature for delivery. Of course, you can always install a doorbell camera, but that will not stop the crime.

The other way is to, of course, shop in a store and take it home from there. Check out the C+R website for a complete report.

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