Homeowners, Beware: 'Package Pirates' Out To Snatch Your Holiday Boxes

COBB COUNTY, GA. -- Property owners, beware: A package pirate is taking boxes from front porches in at least one Cobb County neighborhood.

As the holiday season gets in full swing, it is not uncommon to encounter a few Grinches along the way. But what makes this case unusual is that one homeowner said that in November he has caught the package thief on camera-- and nothing has been done about it.

"He drives by the house, see's there's a package sitting on the front door step," Smyrna resident Chris Adams, who lives in the Barnes Mill subdivision, told WGCL.

Adams said the loss of the package didn't bother him -- it was fish food -- but the fact that police have yet to make an arrest even though he sent them footage identifying the vehicle's license plate number is something that does.

"They called him and they said they wanted him to come in and he said no -- which is what you would expect, and now I guess they're just hoping to catch him at a traffic stop," he told WGCL.

The TV station reports that three residences in Adams' neighborhood have had similar thefts recently.

Read more: Tips to prevent packages from being stolen at your home

Patch has written before on how not to be "victimized by package pirates." One good tip is to watch out for vehicles that pull up behind delivery trucks. Another is to always make sure someone is home to receive the package.

Here are a couple others:

• Prominently display the fact that you have a home security system. Many companies have signs that you can post in the front yard. Security cameras in full view can also act as a deterrent.
• Take advantage of email notifications provided by the likes of Amazon, FedEx and UPS. These companies have sophisticated tracking systems that act as a backstop if packages are lost. Many delivery companies have the capabilility to document the status of your package from warehouse to front door.

Read more of this story at WGCL.

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