A local family had hundreds of dollars in Christmas packages stolen from their front porch.
Like many parents, one local mom went online to buy her daughter's Christmas presents. They were delivered by the post office but Kina Sadler said she never received them.
She immediately called the postal service. "They tracked it again and said everything was delivered, but there was nothing to be found,' said Sadler.
Sadler bought the items on Ebay. She said the online retailer is insured. "But, the insurance only covers the package until the drop off time," said Sadler. "Since it shows they were delivered, there's nothing that can be done on that end."
At least $400 worth of packages had been stolen right off her front porch. U.S. Postal Inspector Brad Mahs said criminals have a plan, so online shoppers need one too. "They can peruse the neighborhood looking for packages that are just left out in the open knowing people are at work or otherwise," said Mahs.
Mahs said track your packages from start to finish, require a signature or get a P.O. Box. "If for some reason a last minute trip comes around or you're going out of town, you can go online and get your package intercepted so you can get it at a new location," he said.
Sadler said she learned her lesson. "Not to have anything shipped to my home when I'm not there," she said.
She hoped it was a lesson for others too. "Clearly you can't be too careful," said Sadler.
If your packages are stolen, call the police or your mail service immediately. Also call the seller. Depending on where you bought it, they may send you a new one.
Check out more security tips from the postal service by clicking here.
