Guide
How to Prevent Package Theft: 7 Steps That Work
About 30% of American adults, roughly 80 million people, have had a package stolen, and 47.7 million lost one in the past year with an average value of $161, according to Security.org's October 2026 report. Apartment residents are hit most, at 45%. The steps that work remove the package from view or make the porch react when someone approaches. This guide gives the figures, the 7 steps in order of effect, what a doorbell camera does, and how to report a theft.
Updated by thevivint.com, an independent Vivint Authorized Dealer.
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How Common Package Theft Is
Package theft touches about 30% of US adults, up from 24% in 2025; 4% lost a package in the past 3 months, apartment residents are hit at 45% against 25% for houses, and deliveries triple in October to December, which is why half of respondents worry most at the holidays.
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Adults who have ever had a package stolen | About 30% (about 80 million) |
| Stolen in the past year | 47.7 million people |
| Average value of the last stolen package | $161 |
| Total value stolen in a year | About $7.7 billion |
| Apartment residents affected | 45% |
| Victims who reported it to police | 23% |
Source: Security.org 2026 Package Theft Report, survey of 3,494 adults, September 2026.
7 Steps, in Order of Effect
Do these 7 in order; the first 3 remove the package from the porch altogether.
Steps:
- Ship to a locker, access point, or your workplace for anything valuable; thieves cannot take what is not there.
- Schedule deliveries for when someone is home, the method 43% of households already use.
- Ask a neighbour to bring packages in, and return the favour.
- Install a doorbell camera that detects packages and reacts; the Vivint Doorbell Camera Pro lights its ring and sounds a tone when someone lingers or reaches for a parcel.
- Add motion lighting at the door; 18% of households use it, and it makes the porch a bad place to work unseen.
- Turn on carrier tracking alerts so you collect within minutes of delivery.
- Buy gifts in store or use in-store pickup during the holidays, when 14% of victims lose a gift.
What a Doorbell Camera Does
A doorbell camera does 3 things against package theft: it records a face for the police report, it alerts you the moment a package arrives so you collect it, and, with Smart Deter, it reacts on its own by lighting up and sounding a tone when someone lingers or reaches down; 36% of households already use a doorbell camera with alerts.
The Doorbell Camera Pro page lists its 180-degree head-to-toe view, and the Smart Deter guide explains how it decides.
How to Report a Theft
Report a stolen package in 4 steps: file a claim with the retailer or carrier first, since most replace the item; report it to local police online with the camera clip, because only 23% of victims do and patterns get thieves caught; report mail theft to the Postal Inspection Service; and share the clip with neighbours so they collect their own deliveries.
Frequently Asked Questions
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