Did you shop Amazon’s Prime Day? Here’s how to protect your packages from porch pirates

Following Amazon’s Prime Day this week, you may notice an uptick in Amazon packages being left at you and your neighbor’s doorstep. But just because a package makes it to your doorstep doesn’t mean it’ll make it inside your door.

Prime Day is a two-day event in which Amazon Prime members can catch big deals on clothes, technology and more, so a lot more people have been shopping.

Forbes reports that in 2023 almost 40% of Americans reported packages being stolen from them. Porch pirates, a term used for those who steal items from peoples’ porches and mailboxes, stole more than 115 million packages last year, Forbes said. And Kansas was one of the U.S. states that saw the impact.

According to Forbes, Kansas is expected to be the sixth-worst state this year for theft. Missouri ranks No. 10.

Forbes put together the ranking by looking at thefts of personal property in each state as well as the number of times people search “package stolen.”

Here are the 10 worst states for packages stolen, according to Forbes:

1. New Hampshire
2. Oklahoma
3. Delaware
4. Iowa
5. Colorado
6. Kansas
7. Washington
8. Oregon
9. Minnesota
10. Missouri

How to protect your packages from being stolen

If you’re concerned that your packages won’t make it to you, you can take extra precautions to make sure they’re protected.

Here are some tips to protecting your deliveries, from Forbes:

• Put a security camera in a visible space.
• Purchase a porch lock box.
• Use online package tracking.
• If you won’t be home when a package arrives, ask trusted neighbors to pick it up.
• Use your office address if possible.
• If you’re sending a package to someone else, keep them updated on the ETA.

This story was originally published July 16, 2024 at 1:13 PM.

Lindsay Smith

The Wichita Eagle

Lindsay Smith is a suburban news reporter for the Wichita Eagle, covering the communities of Andover, Bel Aire, Derby, Haysville and Kechi. She has been on The Eagle staff since 2022 and was the service journalism reporter for three years. She has a degree in communications with an emphasis in journalism from Wichita State, where she was editor-in-chief of the student newspaper, The Sunflower, for two years. You can reach her via email at lsmith@wichitaeagle.com.