Online Shoppers Beware! 5 Tips to Protect Your Holiday Packages From 'Porch Pirates'

The holiday shopping season is officially in full swing. It's a busy time for retail employees, mail carriers and other delivery drivers, and unfortunately, package thieves. According to research from Security.org, 44% of Americans have had a package stolen, and more than $8 billion worth of merchandise has been filched in the last year.

When a package goes missing, it costs you in time and hassle -- even if the retailer replaces the item free of charge and saves you an additional credit card charge, you still have to wait for the replacement and worry about whether it, too, will be stolen.

Luckily, there are a few techniques you can lean on to keep your holiday gift packages safe and out of the hands of these "porch pirates."

1. Track your packages

These days, just about every package can be tracked via a string of numbers plugged into the carrier's website. I do a lot of my shopping online, and as soon as I receive notification that something's been shipped, I immediately sign up to receive text message alerts to keep me abreast of the package's progress. I work from home, so as soon as something shows up, I can go get it off my porch.

If you know the day an item is supposed to arrive, you can plan around that. And if you happen to be at home and are notified when it arrives, you can bring it inside right away.

2. Use a P.O. box or pick-up location

In many cases, you can have items delivered to a third-party location, like a P.O. box at your local post office or a mailbox at a place like The UPS Store. Your package will be held there, and you'll be notified that it's arrived and you can go pick it up.

This isn't the most convenient system (as you'll have to go get the packages), but if you're rarely home to receive packages and don't have a free way to secure them, it could keep items safe. That could be worth the small amount you'll pay out of your checking account for this service.

3. Set your delivery location to your office

Here's another free option, if you work from an office with public access. I worked for museums for years before becoming a writer and editor, and when I lived in rentals that didn't have spaces for packages to be left, I set my delivery address to work, because museums have public access and often a front desk assistant to sign for packages.

It's worth double-checking with your employer before you do this, and if your office has a security presence, there may be no access for delivery people anyway.

4. Consider installing security features

This is the most expensive method on this list, but having additional security features at home could be a good move for you anyway. Plus, home security cameras and related tech often go on sale during Prime Day and similar shopping events, so wait a bit and you could save money.

Having a doorbell camera means you can see when a package is being delivered, and if it goes missing, you'll have video footage of who stole it. (This probably will not help you with its recovery, but it might, especially if you or the police recognize the thief.) You can also consider motion sensor lights, because if someone is messing around on your porch after dark, a light coming on could scare them off.

5. Lean on your neighbors

Getting to know your neighbors is a fine thing to do anyway, but having a friendly relationship is especially handy for receiving packages. My current downstairs neighbors have been kind enough to retrieve items from our shared porch on the few occasions when I'm not home and something is delivered.

Offer to bring in boxes for your neighbor in exchange for them doing the same, and enjoy a sense of community that can save you both money and a headache.

What should you do if you lose a package to thieves?

It's a terrible feeling when you've got tracking that says something was delivered, but it has vanished without a trace. Here's what to do:

• Contact the shipper: You can file a claim for the lost item and may qualify to be reimbursed for its cost.
• Contact the seller: If you bought from a big retailer like Amazon, there are procedures in place to handle lost or stolen packages. You may get the item replaced free of charge. But if you ordered something from a third-party seller on a big site like eBay, you might be out of luck if the shipper won't reimburse you.
• Look into purchase protections: Some credit cards offer purchase protection, so you can be reimbursed for the cost of an item that is stolen or damaged soon after you buy it.
• File a police report: I hate to say it, but odds are, your item is gone for good and the police will not be able to recover it for you. But you might need a police report to file a claim with your credit card company, the shipper, or the retailer.

The holiday shopping season is a field day for thieves. Make the above moves to avoid being a victim of "porch pirates."