A delivery worker was intending to leave gifts for someone else, but ended up being treated to some himself.

Kathy Ouma says she like to leave drinks and snacks out on her porch for drivers to enjoy on their routes after dropping off packages. This week, one worker from Amazon came to the porch to drop off the package, and was more than surprised to see a container of Coke, Oreos, crackers, and more.

Oumas Ring.com porch camera captured the moment the driver arrived, and she posted the video on Facebook. The footage has now been seen more than four million times.

Thats sonice!WowThis issweet! the driver can be heard saying as he takes some goodies. He even did a little dance as he walked back to his truck.

Ouma wrote the drivers reaction made [her] day!

Originally posted here:
Watch: Amazon Delivery Worker Surprised With Free Basket Of Treats On Porch - KFSM 5Newsonline

Posted: Dec 6, 2019 / 04:55 PM CST / Updated: Dec 6, 2019 / 10:07 PM CST

WICHITA FALLS (KFDX/KJTL) A Wichita Falls man and woman are jailed as police investigate numerous reports of burglaries and thefts off of porches. Both suspects have lengthy records.

Joellen Wolfe is charged with two counts of burglary and three counts of theft. Elis Ramos is charged with burglary and drug possession.

The most recent charge is for an alleged burglary on November 26, on Martin.

A woman told officers she and her mother had left the house for a short time and had left her wallet and a bag of shoes on the kitchen counter and the back door had been left unlocked.

When they returned the items were missing, and just 30 minutes later she received notifications her credit card had been used at Dillards and then at Walmart.

Police said they went to Walmart and Dillards and recognized Wolfe and Ramos using the card in surveillance video.

Officers then went to Sun Valley Apartments with arrest warrants for Wolfe and Ramos, and said after taking them to jail, they found a bag of meth in the car Ramos had been in, and charged him with possession.

Police also suspect Wolfe in thefts from porches and other burglaries, and of trying to get refunds for stolen items.

Wolfes arrests include three for burglary, six thefts and one robbery.

Ramos arrests date to 1984 and include attempted murder and four for burglary

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Two repeat offenders arrested for burglaries and porch thefts - KFDX - Texomashomepage.com

STONE COUNTY, Mo. -- Stone County deputies have arrested two people for stealing packages off porches near Branson West.

36-year-old Justin Chambers and 32-year-old Melissa Lind were booked into the Stone County jail on Monday December 2.

They're accused of stealing boxes from homes along Highway DD and Talking Rocks Road.

"There's a lot of room between houses along the road here," Dan Ball said.

One of the crimes was caught on a home security camera. The man can be seen swiping a box off a porch just after 5 p.m. Monday afternoon. Chambers and Lind were booked into the Stone County jail about an hour later, after a state trooper spotted the truck that matched a neighbor's description. Deputies also found several boxes opened and emptied.

"I am so impressed and very grateful," Vivian Ireland said.

While the stolen items have been located, Ireland says she's still waiting to find out if her name was on any of the packages.

"Hopefully it's not. I'm really sorry for anybody that it was because I know all the hard work we spend this time of year and money, when you don't always have a lot of it," Ireland said.

As someone who gets packages delivered regularly, Ireland will be watching closely.

"My daughter does all her Christmas shopping online. I do quite a bit of mine, too," Ireland said. "We know we have packages on the way."

The sheriff also suggests keeping an eye on tracking numbers and trying to be home when packages arrive or getting some help from a trusted neighbor.

"We try to watch out for each other a little bit," Ball said.

That can help make sure it's only Santa who sneaks onto your property this season.

"I feel for those it did happen to. It's no good to have something like that at Christmas," Ball said.

If you live in the area of DD Highway or Talking Rocks Road and are missing a package, the Sheriff's Office asks that you let them know.

Continued here:
2 charged with stealing packages from porches in Stone County - KY3

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) Dont for a moment think it wont happen in your neighborhood.

Wherever the delivery services go there is a chance the porch pirates are not far behind.

This is a crime of opportunity, says Ross Township Police Det. Sgt. Brian Kohlhepp, Its definitely something weve seen as a local and a national trend where more and more common packages are being stolen off porches, doorsteps apartment complexes.

Thats why Steve Podobinski arrived at the Amazon locker at Whole Foods in Wexford today to pick up a package.

The lockers keep the package secure until the owner comes to claim it with a barcode. Podobinski says he worries about porch pirates, Cause even though theres usually somebody at home during the day you dont necessarily know when somebody drops something off.

Podobinski says if theres a package on his porch its an open invitation for anyone to help themselves.

With the conveyor belts of Amazon, UPS, FED EX, and the United States Postal Service working at warp speed the theft opportunities are flowing into the neighborhoods so alternative delivery opportunities are critical.

UPS will send its packages to one of its own retail locations or to some CVS Pharmacies, and Michaels stores.

FedEx has put lockboxes in some Walgreens Drug Stores, as well as its own facilities.

And Kohlhepp points out, There are services like Amazon where they can go into your house and leave the package inside.

All four of the main shipping services have online access where you can control where your package goes.

But it is important to note, diverting your package from your home may come with a service fee.

Read more:
Beware Of Porch Pirates: Companies Offer Alternative Delivery Services During The Holiday Season - CBS Pittsburgh

Bargain shoppers aren't the only ones cashing in on Cyber Monday, the biggest e-commerce day of the year.According to Lincoln Police, so are porch pirates, who are waiting for your packages to be delivered."Who are either following the trucks that are delivering things or they are hunting for packages left unattended on porches," said Lincoln Police Sgt. Angela Sands.She said so far in 2019, there have been 136 package thefts reported. There were 115 thefts in 2018."We already saw a spike in that so were trying to get ahead of that," Sands said.She said police have a special detail that patrol neighborhoods and talks to residents and community organizations about how most package thefts occur during the months of November and December."Because that's when most people are doing their holiday shopping," Sands said.She said consumers can protect themselves through a number of ways. Many business, such as Whole Foods and FedEx, have storage lockers where items can be shipped to and then picked up later. Residents can have a lock box on their porch for deliveries. Consumers can have packages shipped to a neighbor or relative's home who will be there. And get text alerts so you know when a delivery has arrived."So you kind of reduce the risk of having it stolen," Sands said. Heather Cawthra's son knows how quickly porch pirates can strike."The package was delivered about 9:30. And then by the time my son came out about a little after 10-ish, it was gone," Cawthra said.She said she has gone online and changed her shipping address to her work place."Where someone is always there to take the packages. So yeah, it has changed. I'm not having anything delivered here," Cawthra said.Police recommend if you catch a porch pirate in action, don't try to apprehend them. Take a photo, get a license plate number and good description of the suspect or suspects and call police. Sands said hopefully they will be scared off and drop your packages.

Bargain shoppers aren't the only ones cashing in on Cyber Monday, the biggest e-commerce day of the year.

According to Lincoln Police, so are porch pirates, who are waiting for your packages to be delivered.

"Who are either following the trucks that are delivering things or they are hunting for packages left unattended on porches," said Lincoln Police Sgt. Angela Sands.

She said so far in 2019, there have been 136 package thefts reported. There were 115 thefts in 2018.

"We already saw a spike in that so were trying to get ahead of that," Sands said.

She said police have a special detail that patrol neighborhoods and talks to residents and community organizations about how most package thefts occur during the months of November and December.

"Because that's when most people are doing their holiday shopping," Sands said.

She said consumers can protect themselves through a number of ways. Many business, such as Whole Foods and FedEx, have storage lockers where items can be shipped to and then picked up later. Residents can have a lock box on their porch for deliveries. Consumers can have packages shipped to a neighbor or relative's home who will be there. And get text alerts so you know when a delivery has arrived.

"So you kind of reduce the risk of having it stolen," Sands said.

Heather Cawthra's son knows how quickly porch pirates can strike.

"The package was delivered about 9:30. And then by the time my son came out about a little after 10-ish, it was gone," Cawthra said.

She said she has gone online and changed her shipping address to her work place.

"Where someone is always there to take the packages. So yeah, it has changed. I'm not having anything delivered here," Cawthra said.

Police recommend if you catch a porch pirate in action, don't try to apprehend them. Take a photo, get a license plate number and good description of the suspect or suspects and call police. Sands said hopefully they will be scared off and drop your packages.

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Porch pirate reports on the rise in Lincoln - KETV Omaha

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. Its the season for thieves to prey on delivered packages, but there are new ways to stop and protect your goods.

The University of Arkansas at Little Rocks Executive Director of Professional Sales Program said its happening more and more.

Its growing because most of retail sales now, especially around Christmas time, are done online, Lenita Davis said.

The solution might not be as simple as you think.

Even though you may have Ring and video cameras, I mean, all you really record is people stealing packages off your porch, right? Davis said.

So, what do you do to stop thieves from swiping your packages?

She said there are several options.

I think this is why Amazon came up with the locker system where you can have your packages sent to the locker and pick em up at Whole Foods," Davis said. "People are also starting to send their packages to work. People are using the video cameras so when they see a package delivered, have a neighbor pick them up.

More options:

You can anticipate when its going to arrive, Davis said.

Discouraging thieves is important because a refund isnt always an option.

A lot of people you buy products from, once they send that tracking number and show that its been delivered to your door, thats it. If it got stolen, youre out of luck, Davis said.

If you have a video monitoring app, its always a good idea to monitor it, so you know whats going on in your neighborhood.

RELATED: Home security makes its way to holiday shopping lists

RELATED: Porch pirates back for the holidays; thief steals package from child in Hillcrest

Link:
Putting porch pirates to a stop before they get to your door - THV11.com KTHV

CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, Ohio A delivery worker was intending to leave gifts for someone else, but ended up being treated to some himself.

Kathy Ouma, of Cleveland Heights, says she like to leave drinks and snacks out on her porch for drivers to enjoy on their routes after dropping off packages. This week, one worker from Amazon came to the porch to drop off the package, and was more than surprised to see a container of Coke, Oreos, crackers, and more.

Ouma's Ring.com porch camera captured the moment the driver arrived, and she posted the video on Facebook. The footage has now been seen more than four million times.

"That's so nice!..."Wow...This is sweet!" the driver can be heard saying as he takes some goodies. He even did a little dance as he walked back to his truck.

Ouma wrote the driver's reaction "made [her] day!"

RELATED: Merry & bright: The best holiday light displays in Northeast Ohio

RELATED: Cyber Monday sales on track to hit record

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Watch: Amazon delivery worker surprised with free basket of treats on Cleveland Heights porch - WKYC.com

Millions of people are shopping online this holiday season, and local law enforcement is warning the public of potential scams and theft.

Before clicking to buy anything, the Fargo Police Department recommends web shoppers verify that the sites they are using are legitimate. That includes fundraiser pages like GoFundMe. In addition to verifying that a website is secure, police suggest using a credit card for better protection against fraud.

The Federal Trade Commission also has a list of tips on how to avoid phishing scams.

More than 2 billion packages will be shipped now through the end of the year.

Items often arrive on doorsteps just days after they are ordered, and that provides another opportunity for thieves to target web shoppers.

Fargo police Public Information Officer Jessica Schindeldecker has some tips on how to thwart these thieves, often known as porch pirates. One is to keep an eye on package tracking numbers. You can also have packages sent to the post office, to a friend's house or even the office where you work.

Packages can be tracked on these websites:

Follow this link:
How you can thwart scammers and 'porch pirates' - INFORUM

Amazon Prime driver thwarts porch pirate thieves caught on video

Driver waits around corner suspecting pair was targeting deliveries

Updated: 11:24 PM EST Dec 2, 2019

Hide TranscriptShow Transcript

TERRI: THIS IS VIDEO TAKEN SATURDAY BY A RING DOORBELL CAMERA OF A GIRL GRABBING A PACKAGE THAT HAD JUST BEEN DELIVERED AND THEN TAKING OFF WITH IT. YOU CAN SEE HER COMPANION WAITING FOR HER ON A BIKE. SHE RUNS UP AND GETS ON HER OW BIKE TO MAKE HER GET-AWAY, BUT SHE DOESNT GET FAR. THIS AMAZON DRIVER IN THIS VAN WAS WAITING. >> IVE BEEN DELIVERING PACKAGES FOR AMAZON ALL DAY TODAY. IVE SEEN THEM ON SEACREST. IVE SEEN THEM ALL OVER THE NEIGHBORHOOD. >> OK. TERRI: THATS THE 911 CALL FROM THE DRIVER. SHE TELLS POLICE THE KIDS ON BIKES HAD BEEN FOLLOWING HER AS SHE MADE HER DELIVERIES IN THIS BOYNTON BEACH NEIGHBORHOOD, AND SHE WAS HESITANT TO LEAVE ANY PACKAGES. THE KIDS FINALLY DISAPPEARED, THOUGH, AND SHE LEFT A PACKAGE ON THIS DOORSTEP, WHERE THE GIRL PROMPTLY SHOWED UP AND GRABBED IT. BUT, THE DRIVER HAD CIRCLED AROUND THE BLOCK TO DOUBLE CHECK. >> AS SOON AS THEY SAW ME COMING AROUND THE CORNER, AND I SAW THEM WITH THE BOX, THEY FLEW DOWN THE ROAD. TERRI: THE THIEVES DROPPED THE PACKAGE IN THE BUSHES, AND IT WAS RETURNED TO THE OWNER. BUT WITH THIEVES NOW ACTUALLY TAILING DELIVERY DRIVERS, POLICE MAKE THESE SUGGESTIONS -- CONSIDER HAVING IT DELIVERED TO YOUR COMMUNITYS MANAGEMENT OFFICE OR YOUR PLACE OF BUSINESS, REQUIRE A SIGNATURE FOR DELIVERY OR SCHEDULE DELIVERY IF POSSIBLE FOR WHEN SOMEONES HOME, AND INVEST IN DOORBELL OR HOME VIDEO SURVEILLANCE S

Amazon Prime driver thwarts porch pirate thieves caught on video

Driver waits around corner suspecting pair was targeting deliveries

Updated: 11:24 PM EST Dec 2, 2019

An alert Amazon Prime delivery driver noticed a boy and girl on bikes tailing her truck Saturday afternoon in Boynton Beach so she stopped making deliveries until they rode off.But as soon as she left a package on a doorstep, she circled back around to make sure it stayed there, and saw the same girl running down the street carrying the box.The driver said when the girl saw her Amazon van, she dumped the package in the bushes and took off.The driver called police, who returned the package to the owner and are seeking the porch pirate.Ring doorbell video captured the theft and the Amazon truck driving back to the scene.

An alert Amazon Prime delivery driver noticed a boy and girl on bikes tailing her truck Saturday afternoon in Boynton Beach so she stopped making deliveries until they rode off.

But as soon as she left a package on a doorstep, she circled back around to make sure it stayed there, and saw the same girl running down the street carrying the box.

The driver said when the girl saw her Amazon van, she dumped the package in the bushes and took off.

The driver called police, who returned the package to the owner and are seeking the porch pirate.

Ring doorbell video captured the theft and the Amazon truck driving back to the scene.

Visit link:
Amazon Prime driver thwarts porch pirate thieves caught on video - WPBF West Palm Beach

A surveillance video shows a crook stealing packages from a front porch.

Unfortunately it seems like we're seeing videos like this almost daily.

It's happening at homes around the desert.

"I definitely think about the safety of our communities in making sure people take precautions when they start having packages shipped for the holidays," said Palm Springs Police Sergeant Mike Casavan.

Casavan says his department does not specifically track cases of porch piracy.

When reported it's simply classified as "petty theft" or "grand theft" depending on the value of what is taken.

But, he says it is happening, especially this time of year at homes throughout the valley.

In fact, people who live in one Palm Desert neighborhood off Frank Sinatra tell us they've seen a lot of it.

"You know it doesn't feel safe, Maybe they break into the house and that is not good," said homeowner Mustafa Cider.

Cider says thankfully his home has not been hit by porch pirates but he is hearing about it happening at homes nearby.

While waiting for his own shipments he is considering steps recommended by security experts and law enforcement.

First is making sure the front door is well lit.

Also consider a security camera.

"Maybe just having surveillance equipment put up at your house so if your packages are stolen, at least we have a video to see who did it, and possibly identify them," said Casavan.

If your package is being shipped by Fed Express use the "hold for pickup" option where you can go to their location to get your package versus having it delivered to your house.

UPS also offers that option.

A workplace is another location where your packages can be delivered where they won't be spotted by a potential porch pirate.

"It's a problem I believe, UPS I think just leave the package, they don't ring or knock on the door," said Cider.

There are also several Amazon "hub lockers" where, if your package is coming from Amazon, you can have that shipment sent .. for pick up at your convenience.

If a porch pirate does take something from your front door, the consumer resource website "Value Penguin" provides a list of steps that you should take as part of an effort to get that shipment back or get the item replaced.

Link:

https://www.valuepenguin.com/home-insurance/6-steps-take-if-your-package-gets-stolen-your-door

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Porch piracy skyrocketing in California; how to stop the thieves - KESQ