35% of Americans Have Had a Package or Delivery Stolen — And Most Don’t Report It to the Police

Home delivery thefts skyrocketed in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, when stay-at-home orders were in place. Although much has changed since, the latest ValuePenguin survey of more than 1,500 U.S. consumers reveals that porch pirates are still a problem.

In fact, 35% of Americans have had a package or delivery stolen. And of this group, the majority say the theft occurred in the past year. The good news is that most say they’ve received compensation for their stolen packages.

Keep reading for tips on reporting porch piracy, and whether package thefts are worth filing a homeowners insurance claim.

Key findings

35% of Americans have had a package stolen — here’s who’s most likely to experience it

Online ordering is just one way the internet has made consumers’ lives easier, but, like all things, convenience comes at a cost. For package deliveries, that cost is the risk of theft. Overall, more than a third of Americans (35%) have had a package or delivery stolen. Of this group, 59% say it occurred in the past year.

Despite being the oldest generation among those tracked in this survey, 84% of baby boomers ages 57 to 76 report never having a package or delivery stolen — the highest rate of any age group. Only 55% of millennials ages 26 to 41 and 56% of Gen Zers ages 18 to 25 say similarly. Meanwhile, millennials (29%) and Gen Zers (28%) are most likely to report they had a package stolen in the past year. That compares with 19% of Gen Xers ages 42 to 56 and 8% of baby boomers.

High earners are more likely to have recently experienced package theft than low earners. Six-figure earners and those making between $75,000 and $99,999 are the most likely groups to have had a package stolen in the last year — 27% for both. On the other hand, just 17% of those making $35,000 or less say similarly — 10 percentage points lower than their high-earning counterparts.

Where do these package thefts occur most? Single-family homes are by far the most likely place porch pirates have targeted, accounting for 62% of thefts. Following that, 23% of recent package thefts occurred in apartment buildings.

Delivery theft isn’t limited to just one package for most victims. In fact, 51% of people who’ve had goods stolen in the past year report having several items taken. To break it down:

One reason consumers may be experiencing package theft recently could be because there’s more opportunity for it. Over the past three months, 15% of consumers have had more packages delivered to their homes — highest among millennials (21%) and Gen Zers (20%). In that same period, 23% of all consumers say their neighbors have experienced package theft.

Cameras don’t deter thieves

Security cameras offer a sense of protection for many consumers — almost half (46%) of Americans have at least one security camera — but it doesn’t seem like they’re scaring away porch pirates. Of those who’ve ever had a package stolen, 60% have at least one security camera.

ValuePenguin home insurance expert Divya Sangameshwar says consumers shouldn’t rely on security cameras alone to protect their packages.

But security cameras aren’t the only anti-theft measures consumers have implemented in the past year. Among those who’ve ever had a package stolen, they’re most likely to recently protect their packages by enabling tracking notifications (45%). Beyond that, package theft victims are also likely to install doorbell cameras (35%) or choose delivery times (27%).

Those doorbell cameras may come in handy, as 67% of those who’ve experienced a package theft in the past year say their most recently stolen package was taken from their front door or porch. Although porch theft is most common, 16% had their most recently stolen package taken from a mailbox, and 11% had it stolen from a community mailroom.

Few victims report package theft to police

While package theft may be a pain, few victims feel compelled to file a police report. Of those who’ve lost a package to a porch pirate in the past year, only 17% say they reported the theft to the police. To resolve a stolen package, 62% of victims file a claim through the seller, while 30% do so with the shipping company.

Sangameshwar says it’s understandable that most consumers wouldn’t file a police report — particularly because they’re likely to get their money back from large online retailers like Amazon. And, generally, those targeted by porch pirates in the past year order from large retailers. In fact, the most commonly stolen packages are those ordered from Amazon (62%), other online retailers (33%) or food delivery services like Instacart or HelloFresh (11%).

Those who filed a claim through the shipping company may have a harder time getting their money back.

Regardless of when their package was stolen, 58% of package theft victims say the culprit wasn’t caught. Although that number may seem high, it may be because the average value of the stolen goods isn’t worth pursuing (more on this below).

Consumers lost an estimated $114 in package thefts over the past year

The good news? Package theft victims aren’t always losing high-value items. Of those who’ve had a package stolen in the past year, the average estimated value of the goods stolen is $114. Even better news: Regardless of when the theft occurred, 71% of porch pirate victims say they received some form of compensation for their most recently stolen package.

When resolving their most recently stolen package through a claim, more than half (55%) of porch pirate victims say they either got all their money back or a free replacement item. However, 29% report they didn’t receive any money or had to shell out more cash for a replacement item.

Had a package stolen? Here’s what to do

We’ve covered whether retailers and shippers cover porch pirate theft — what about your home insurance provider?

Sangameshwar advises consumers to treat porch piracy like any other theft. Regardless of whether you file a claim with your insurance provider, retailer or shipping company, she recommends following these steps to report and file a claim: