Hamilton mom's Christmas gifts stolen 2 days in a row. Here's how to stop 'porch pirates'
Package theft across Canada is on the rise, FedEx survey shows
A Hamilton woman says she is "mind-blown" after items she ordered for Christmas were stolen from her front porch twice in just over 24 hours.
Tylar-Leigh Corkum's experience comes at a time when there's a rise in incidents involving "porch pirates," indicates a FedEx Canada survey.
Corkum said she was waiting for a hat and track pants to arrive on Sunday, Nov. 10, while spending time with her children at home in Hamilton's Corktown neighbourhood.
She said the courier, Apple Express, left the $100 gift on her front porch just after 11 a.m., but there was no drop-off notification or knock on the door.
Around 1 p.m., she realized it arrived and walked outside — only to see her porch empty.
"In under two hours it was gone, and I was home," Corkum said. "My jaw dropped."
The next day, she received a package delivered by Uni Uni on her front step and got the notification, but she was at work. Corkum said she saw the notification an hour later.
Her mother, who lives next door, went to pick it up but it was also stolen.
"I feel very violated because … somebody was that close to my front door," she said. "The fact it happened twice makes me feel like it was targeted, maybe somebody is watching my house for packages."
Package theft on the rise in Canada, survey shows
Corkum said she would have had the packages sent to a post office, but not all online purchases, like the ones she made, have those options.
She said she didn't contact local police because she had no evidence and felt they wouldn't be much help. CBC Hamilton contacted Apple Express and Uni Uni for comment, but didn't immediately hear back.
Hamilton police said in an email it's important for people to report package thefts so officers can keep track of how often it is happening. The service also pointed to Operation Ama-gone, which led to officers laying 56 charges and arresting three people in 2021 related to package theft.
Corkum said she received refunds for some of the items, but now doesn't have the gifts she wanted to hand out for Christmas.
"My Christmas spirit is gone … I'm turned off by online shopping. I might stop," she said.
She's considering getting security cameras and said delivery people should have to knock on the front door or try to hide the package if possible.
FedEx Canada spokesperson James Anderson said its data found 28 per cent of the 1,507 Canadians who responded to its survey said they were the victims of package theft.
That's up from 24 per cent in 2021 and 20 per cent in 2020.
"Nationally, 70 per cent of online shoppers are at least somewhat worried about package theft," Anderson said in an interview.
The survey was conducted in early October by members of the Angus Reid Forum, and has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.5 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
What you can do to thwart porch thefts
Hamilton police gives these tips for people expecting deliveries:
- Have your package delivered to your work.
- Arrange deliveries to relatives or friends you know will be home.
- Have the local post office hold your package.
- Have your package shipped to a store.
- Request a signature confirmation when your package arrives.
- Ask carriers to place packages out of plain sight.
Anderson said anyone waiting on a shipment can use their tracking number to get a four-hour window of when their delivery is expected. He added customers can provide instructions for the courier, and said if their packages are stolen, they can file a police report.
Barbara Agrait, a spokesperson for Amazon, told CBC Hamilton that customers can pick up packages at Amazon locations, can choose a delivery date and two- to four-hour delivery window, and have the courier take a picture when the package arrives. She also said customers can provide instructions, like knocking on the front door, for the courier.
Canada Post spokesperson Phil Rogers said in an email that customers using their app can choose a safe location outside their home that isn't their front porch, as long as couriers can get there safely. It also offers FlexDelivery, which allows people to have packages sent straight to the post office.
UPS spokesperson Nicole Garbutt said customers can sign up for the free service UPS My Choice service, which sends email alerts to notify a package is scheduled to be delivered and allows customers to choose where the package is delivered. Most deliveries also include photo proof of delivery.
Corkum said she has a message for the person or persons who stole her Christmas gifts.
"You need to think about your actions before taking people's stuff because those gifts have meaning to them, especially around this time of year."
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