The rise of Amazon has led to the increase of porch pirates, videos of which you may have seen pop up on your neighborhood Facebook page.
Last year, nearly 80% of Americans had a package stolen, with 52% of those packages being from Amazon Prime, according to a new study from Forbes Home.
In total, porch pirates stole 260 million packages worth an estimated $19.5 billion in 2022, with clothing as the most stolen item, followed by books, toys, health and personal care products and groceries.
Package thievery peaked during the COVID-19 pandemic when more people than ever were online shopping due to quarantining. Nearly 95% of the porch pirates are 45 or younger, and 54% are white.
Georgia ranks on the lower end for the worst states for porch pirates at 44. New Hampshire is ranked the worst, while Florida is ranked the best.
Georgia also ranks on the lower end for the median value of stolen packages at $45. Alaska and Rhode Island had the highest value of stolen packages at $80.
The Peach State might be helped out by being one of eight U.S. states that have made package theft a felony, along with Texas, Michigan, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee, New Jersey and Kentucky.
The law that went into effect in Georgia on July 1, 2021, states that porch pirates can be punished with prison time of up to five years.
With summer approaching, more Americans will be leaving their homes and packages unattended while on vacation.
Security cameras may help, but 30% of those who had a package stolen in 2022 also had a security camera. Other protection options include requiring a signature, having packages held for pickup by the customer and getting insurance on more expensive items.
