Porch pirate warning after cops see spike in thefts of holiday gifts – easy steps to protect your purchases

OFFICIALS have released an urgent warning about an uptick in thefts of holiday gift deliveries after "porch pirates" continue to lift packages from people's homes.

Luckily, police have provided some easy steps to protect your purchases as shoppers race to prepare for Christmas.

A massive 43 percent of Americans said they've been a victim of package theft, according to a recent study conducted by Qualtrics on behalf of Credit Karma.

Of those, around 35 percent were unable to get their money back.

The "unrecoverable cost" from this theft was between $100 and $299, said 47 percent of those who weren't reimbursed.

Both shoppers and police officers have expressed greater concern about package theft, with authorities reporting an increasing number of calls from those affected.

With this in mind, officials are releasing necessary advice for keeping your packages safe.

While many delivery services send notifications the exact moment that a package is dropped off, shoppers can still be at risk of theft if they aren't home to grab it.

"Unfortunately, it's that time of year," Euclid Police Chief Scott Meyer told WJW.

"And because it is the holiday season, there are people that are going to take advantage of this and look for packages on porches."

One of the best ways to guarantee your package is safe is to ensure someone is available to pick it up.

Meyer suggests having items delivered when you know that you're going to be home.

If you think you may be at work, Meyer said that having the package sent to your office may also be a good idea.

Another official said that you could up your package's chances of survival by making sure that it's hidden if you'll be away from home for a while.

"We don't encourage anybody to leave a package out all day if possible," Lt Scott Franklin with the Laurens Police Department told WSPA.

If at all possible, Franklin said you should arrange for the delivery service to intentionally hide your package.

"You want to ask the deliverers to put them in a non-conspicuous location," he said.

"The best practice is to schedule your package to be there when you know you're going to be there, or if you have a neighbor who can pick it up for you or be on the lookout for you."

Franklin, unfortunately, admitted to seeing an uptick as well, saying that his department got two reports of packages being stolen within 48 hours.

Thankfully, officials across the U.S. said they are staying vigilant to protect the belongings of Christmas shoppers this season.

"Our officers are always alert this time of year because we know it's the holiday season and we know there are a lot of packages getting shipped," he told the local outlet.

"We ask neighbors to do the same thing. If you see something suspicious, just call us."