Online shoppers are scoring hot summer deals right now with retailers like Amazon offering big discounts.
Amazon’s “Prime Day” deals began on Tuesday and last through Friday. Other retailers are also slashing prices to compete.
But all those purchases mean packages piling up outside your door and it’s an opportunity for thieves to steal your stuff.
“It is a crime of opportunity,” said Corie Colliton, a senior industry analyst with Security.org.
Colliton said they looked at crime data and found more than 58 million packages were stolen in 2024.
While Amazon says the vast majority of packages are delivered without any issues, there are things customers can do to make sure their items are safe.
“They’re able to track their packages in real time when they’re about to be delivered and when they do get delivered, there’s a photo that’s sent to you so you can see exactly where it’s put,” said Amazon spokesperson Richar Rocha.
Rocha also said customers can leave notes about their delivery like “drop off behind the house.”
Certain items can be delivered to a hub locker at no additional cost.
And you can schedule to have your items delivered on a day you are home.
So what should you do if your packages are stolen?
Amazon says call customer service to get it fixed.
“We’re all about convenience so we want to make sure that customers have the best way they can get something that’s most convenient for them,” Rocha said.
And call the police.
“It is a crime, and it’s taking place on your personal property,” Colliton said.
And while security cameras can also help you catch thieves in the act, law enforcement recommends not engaging with the thief.