It's the season for so-called 'porch pirates,' those who steal delivered packages from their recipients' homes, but imagine picking up your package personally, opening it and finding it empty of contents.
That's exactly what happened to one Union County resident last week, according to a Union County Sheriff's Office report. Last Friday, a woman reported picking up a package that was supposed to contain two iPhones from the FedEx store and opening the box to find neither of the phones inside.
On Dec. 2, another Union County resident reported a similar loss of property, according to another UCSO report. This resident said two iPhones he'd ordered showed on FedEx tracking as having been delivered; upon checking with the FedEx store, he found out the package had apparently been delivered to the wrong address. When he visited the other residence to ask about the package, they denied having received it, and told the same to a UCSO deputy.
Capt. Jeff Stinson, chief investigator for the UCSO, said both thefts are currently under investigation. However, there are also steps civilians can take on their own to protect their property.
"In those cases, its important to let the carriers know about it in addition to law enforcement," he said in a written correspondence. "Most have their own internal investigation departments that can pinpoint where packages stop along the way."
Stinson said that in most cases, package recipients will be protected from loss so long as their report can be verified, which is why it is important to notify the delivery service in addition to law enforcement.
In the case of physical thefts, Stinson said the best way to ensure one's property is not stolen is to be present at the time of home deliveries. Most delivery services, including the United States Postal Service, UPS and FedEx offer package tracking so delivery recipients may know when to expect a delivery to arrive.
"Most tracking is fairly precise, so leverage that to get to your package as soon after delivery as possible," he said. "Many carriers also accept special delivery instructions, so at least you can request to have the package left somewhere other than out in the open by the front door."
Caitlan Butler can be reached at 870-862-6611 or [email protected].