The real Grinch: U.S. porch pirates are stealing Christmas

As Americans prepare for record-breaking online holiday spending, a far less festive trend is also on the rise: porch piracy. With online shopping now the default for millions, package theft has surged to become one of the most common crimes of the holiday season — costing consumers billions, overwhelming police departments, and leading legislators to push for tougher penalties.

From Christmas through New Year’s, deliveries pile up on doorsteps during the very weeks when homes are empty, work schedules are busy, and thieves know exactly what’s inside those boxes: gifts.

New research compiled by Insuranceopedia shows the crisis is far bigger than most Americans realize.

The Scale of Holiday Porch Piracy — Key Statistics & Facts

Porch piracy has evolved from a nuisance into a full-blown holiday crime wave — and the numbers paint a stark picture of how widespread and costly the problem has become.

1. Theft Peaks Dramatically During the Holiday Shopping Season

The weeks between Black Friday and Christmas are now the single most dangerous period for deliveries.

• 54% of Americans who have experienced porch piracy say it happened during the holiday season, according to research from Lombardo Home.
• 26% of Americans have had at least one package stolen during a past holiday season, reflecting how consistently the problem strikes this time of year.
• Security.org reports that nearly 70% of 2025 holiday shopping will take place online, with the average adult expecting 25 deliveries between October and December — double the typical quarterly volume.

More packages on more porches for more hours of the day = a perfect storm for thieves.

2. Package Theft Is Affecting Tens of Millions of Americans

The scale of porch piracy is no longer anecdotal — it’s national.

• 58 million packages were stolen in 2024 alone, according to USPS OIG.
• Security.org reports that 12% of shoppers — around 31 million Americans — have had a holiday gift stolen specifically.
• A CNET survey found that 1 in 5 U.S. adults knows someone who has had a package stolen, highlighting how widespread the issue has become.

Porch piracy is now one of the most common property crimes in the country — and it’s accelerating.

3. The Financial Toll Is Staggering — and Rising

As Americans shift to online shopping, the dollar value of packages thieves target has surged.

• Americans expect to spend $547 per online order this holiday season on average, according to the Chamber of Commerce.
• 18% of Americans say they’ve lost more than $1,000 to package theft during the holidays.

Higher-value deliveries mean porch piracy is no longer a petty crime — it’s big business.

4. Security Systems Make a Huge Difference — but Most Homes Still Don’t Have One

Despite rising theft, many Americans remain vulnerable.

• A report by Vivint reveals that 80% of Americans say they’ve fallen victim to porch piracy during the holidays.
• Homes without a security system are 10% more likely to be targeted.
• When theft does occur, homes with a security system have a 50% gift recovery rate, while those without have 0%.

5. Even Officials Are Taking Action

The surge has become so serious that lawmakers are starting to step in.

• New Jersey Rep. Josh Gottheimer recently introduced the Porch Pirates Act, proposing federal charges and harsher penalties for theft of packages delivered by private carriers — treating it similarly to USPS mail theft.

How to Prevent Porch Piracy This Christmas

With theft sharply increasing during December, prevention is more effective than filing an insurance claim after the fact.

Make Delivery More Secure

• Use Amazon Lockers, UPS Access Points, USPS Hold for Pickup, or secure parcel lockers.
• Ship packages to your workplace, or to a trusted neighbour or family member.
• Apartment residents should request deliveries to management offices or monitored mailrooms.

Hide Packages From View

• Leave delivery instructions asking couriers to place boxes behind a gate, side yard, back porch, or large planter.
• Avoid locations visible from the street.

Use Technology

• Install a video doorbell or porch camera — both deterrent and evidence-gathering tools.
• Enable delivery alerts to track packages the moment they arrive.

Time Deliveries Wisely

• Track shipments closely.
• Schedule deliveries for times when someone will be home.
• Use “delivery window” options whenever offered.

Protect High-Value Items

• Require signature on delivery for expensive electronics, jewellery, and designer items.
• Consider shipping insurance for high-value gifts.
• For the most expensive items, ship to a secure pickup location, not your porch.

What to Do if You’re a Victim of Package Theft

If your package disappears:

1. Verify the package is missing

Check tracking, speak with neighbours, and look around the entry area.

2. Contact the seller

Major retailers increasingly replace stolen items, especially during the holidays.

3. File a police report

This creates documentation — required by some retailers and insurers.

4. Check video footage

Doorbell cameras can help police identify patterns or serial thieves.

5. Look into insurance coverage

If the retailer or carrier can’t help, your homeowners or renters policy may cover the loss — but only under certain conditions.

Will Insurance Cover Gift Theft?

Porch-pirate theft is often covered under homeowners or renters insurance because once a package is delivered, it becomes personal property.
But coverage ≠ good financial decision.

When Stolen Packages Are Covered

Most standard policies cover theft of personal property taken from:

• Your porch
• Doorstep
• Mailbox
• Building lobby
• Communal mailrooms

Replacement-cost policies reimburse the full replacement price; actual-cash-value policies may reimburse less.

Why Your Deductible Matters Most

• Most U.S. deductibles range from $500 to $2,000.
• Many holiday gifts fall below that cost.
• Meaning: insurance won’t pay anything unless the item exceeds the deductible.

Small Claims = Long-Term Costs

Even if the item is expensive, filing a claim may:

• Raise your premiums
• Reduce claims-free discounts
• Add to your claims history
• Increase your risk rating after multiple claims

Result: Insurance is usually only worthwhile for high-value thefts, not single lost packages.

When using this data and research, please attribute by linking to this study and citing Insuranceopedia.com.