T’is the season to do an excess of online shopping, only to have someone swing by and steal your delivered goodies.

Package theft is on the rise, in general, and only gets worse in the Christmas and Winter Holiday month of December.

Here are some tips to avoid having your packages stolen:

1. Start utilizing shipping lockers – like an Amazon locker, or a FedEx or UPS store. Having your items shipped to your work is another thought, but make sure it’s cool with your boss.
2. Request a signature delivery with all of your orders.  The downside is this means you have to be around when your order arrives, but the plus side is that you know your package isn’t being left on the front porch for anyone to walk by and grab.
3. Track your packages online, so you know if delivery will happen earlier than expected, or if there’s a delay.
4. Join forces with your neighbors. Ask them if they’ll keep an eye out for shipments that arrive, or if there’s a work-from-home or retired neighbor around, see if they’ll allow you to ship to their house.
5. Get a security camera (or two) hooked up. There are so many options available these days, and a lot of the security camera systems will record AND send you real-time alerts on any motion detected.
6. Make your house look like you’re home.  Put lights on a timer, leave a TV on, or if you have an extra car, leave it in the driveway so it looks like someone is around.  Even small changes will make most porch pirates bypass your house.