Many of us are guilty of going overboard when it comes to online shopping, and the pandemic has only made things worse. If you drive down any street, you're bound to see multiple houses with packages left outside. While grabbing your parcels the moment they arrive was easy enough when we were spending most of our time at home, it's now a lot more likely you'll be out of the house for delivery—and that leaves your package up for grabs. Thieves can snag your stuff at any point, but according to a new survey, it turns out criminals may be more likely to strike on one day of the week in particular. Read on to find out when you might not want to get your packages delivered.
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Packages are most often stolen on Mondays.
iStockA July survey from Vivint, a smart home security company, found that at least 29 percent of people in the U.S. reported that they've been the victim of package theft. On average, people have had about three packages stolen throughout their life, and that adds up. Since the pandemic began, the data shows that people have had an average of $74 worth of goods stolen.
The recent survey sought to learn when these thieves, referred to as "porch pirates," are most likely to strike. According to the survey, the most common day for package theft is Mondays, with 34 percent of people reporting that that's when their items were stolen. However, Tuesday was a close second, with 33 percent of people saying their packages were nabbed then. The least common day for packages to be stolen was Saturday, with only 14 percent of people reporting a theft on that day.
Packages were also most often stolen in the afternoon.
iStockThe survey found that, by a large margin, packages were most commonly stolen in the afternoon. This could be because people are commonly out of the house in the afternoon—working, going to school, or running errands. Additionally, many packages arrive around midday. According to the survey, 56 percent of people reported that they've had packages stolen in the afternoon. In the morning and in the evening, reports of stolen packages were close, at 33 and 34 percent, respectively. The safest time for packages was at night, with only 11 percent of people saying they've had packages taken after dark.
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People who live in apartments are more likely to have their packages stolen.
ShutterstockPackages tend to be a bit more vulnerable when they're left outside of an apartment building or in an unguarded mail room: The data showed that 44 percent of people who lived in apartments said they've had a package stolen, while just 20 percent of those who live in a house could say the same. It's likely no surprise then that the survey also found those who live in urban areas were more likely to be targeted. According to the data, 41 percent of victims lived in urban areas, while just 22 and 20 percent of victims lived in suburban or rural areas, respectively.
A 2019 study from Security.org used data to predict where package theft is likely to be most common. Based on those findings, packages are more likely to be stolen in the Northeast, with the Midwest as the runner-up.
The most commonly stolen items were clothing.
Shutterstock/Jeramey LendeYou can't always tell what's in a package, but if you shake it around a bit, you might be able to figure out what's inside. The most commonly stolen item, according to the survey, was clothing, with 33 percent of people reporting a package containing clothes stolen. Books, toys, and games were runner-ups.
Furthermore, Amazon parcels were more commonly taken than those from other companies. The survey found that 52 percent of people reported an Amazon package stolen, while 43 percent of people said they had USPS parcels taken. UPS and FedEx packages saw fewer thefts.
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