In the digital age of today, online shopping has well and surpassed the high street. With online shopping comes deliveries, and with a rise in deliveries, an unfortunate trend has emerged; one of criminal opportunists known as ‘Porch Pirates’ - a term coined in the US and becoming increasingly popular in the UK, which refers to the theft of parcels from porches and doorsteps.
Diving deeper into this worrying trend, home security specialists, SimpliSafe, has found just how many Brits are falling victim to Porch Pirates.
Shockingly, almost one third of those surveyed admitted that they have had a parcel go missing at least once from their ‘safe place’ at home. This could mean that up to 19,009,200* parcels have gone missing from porches and other safe places across the country.
More men hAve reported parcels going missing than women, with over 30% of men having had a package disappear from their doorstep, compared to only a quarter of women.
There is a common theme within the survey data which outlines the division between the older and younger generations. Younger generations are more likely to have a parcel go missing, with this happening to 38% of under 34s at least once. On the other hand, 79% of over 55s have never had a parcel go missing.
Does this highlight the technological gap in the generations or are fewer of their parcels going missing due to them being at home more often? Or are Porch Pirates simply capitalising on this technological shift to online shopping?
With these shocking statistics combined with the cost of living crisis, UK General Manager at SimpliSafe, Jonathan Wall advises Brits to take extra measures to secure parcels, especially with Christmas around the corner.
“With Black Friday Sales already here and Christmas approaching, the number of parcels that get delivered increases in the run-up to the festive season. The statistics from the survey are concerning, especially if around 19 million people could be a victim of parcel theft. When it comes to compensation and reporting a missing parcel, Citizens Advice** reported that one in three consumers who had an issue said they took no action as they didn’t think it’d make a difference. But what if there could be video evidence of an item being stolen, or to deter the Porch Pirate in the first place?
“There are extra measures that could be taken to secure online deliveries. One potential solution is to use an outdoor camera or video doorbell, so you can keep an eye on what’s happening on your property 24/7 as well as deter would-be Porch Pirates away from your home, and it’ll also provide extra peace of mind. You could also avoid the problem altogether by getting your parcel delivered to a neighbour or to your workplace.”
