How to Prevent ‘Porch Pirates’ From Stealing Your Gifts

It's that time of year where gifts just start showing up. Whether it's grandma sending her 20 bucks for the grandkids or the special present you got your hubby for the holidays, it's a great feeling to see the package on the door step. So how much would it suck if you went home and found the package wasn't there? According to USA Today, 23 million Americans have had their porch packages stolen.

So how do we prevent this in time to save the holidays? USA Today compiled a great list on how to prevent these 'Porch Pirates' from getting to your gifts before you do.

Package Guard

Package Guard (pre-order $49.99) is a frisbee-sized disc that might look low-tech, but it’s actually a connected package portal that sends an alert to your phone whenever a delivery arrives at your door. Industrial strength velcro holds the device in place, and it’s also weatherproof, battery operated, and connects wirelessly to your Wi-Fi.

Amazon Locker

Another option comes straight from the world’s largest (and arguably most convenient) online retailer. It’s called Amazon Locker, and it’s kind of like a post office box, but just for Amazon deliveries.

Instead of being delivered to your house or apartment, the packages arrive at a nearby Amazon Locker location, where they’re placed in a secure compartment. You get an email as soon as the package arrives at the locker and you have three full days to pick it up. When you go to pick it up, you simply enter your special unlock code on the Amazon Locker touchscreen and your compartment opens, allowing you to retrieve your delivery. Amazon Locker has locations in more than a dozen major U.S. cities, and many are open 24 hours a day for convenient pick-up.

The Doorman App

Imagine having someone you trust at your door to always sign and receive your important packages so you never even have to think about them being stolen. That’s kind of how Doorman works. It’s a slick app-based service that receives your packages for you, notifies you the moment its arrived, and lets you schedule when and where it goes next.

Lock it down

For some people, the simplicity of a lockbox works best. Landport high-tech lockboxes (starting at $499) were invented specifically to keep bad people from stealing your valuables, and founder Jody Pettit thought of the idea after a cherished heirloom teacup sent from her mother and passed down for generations, was snagged taken right off of her front porch.

Those are just a few! You can check out the full list here...