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PHOENIX - They steal, swipe and slink away with delivered packages.
These thieves, known as porch pirates, have become even more of a nuisance with the rise of online shopping. According to an estimate, about 113 million boxes were swiped this year alone.
Now, a new technology is using information from these past incidents to stop thefts in the future.
"With advanced analytics and this tool we’ve created, it’s a game changer," said Archita Prasad with UPS Capital.
Prasad says the technology is called ‘Delivery Defense.’ It uses billions of data points in the UPS network, historical shipping information, and machine models to track patterns.
Using this information, addresses are assigned a confidence score in the system, with a lower score corresponding to a higher chance for theft.
If a score makes a merchant concerned, they can choose a safer location to re-route the good to. One option is UPS Access Points, partner stores that UPS officials say 92% of the population lives near.
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New anti-porch pirate tech being used by UPS
Porch pirates are nothing new, especially since the rise of online shopping. According to an estimate, about 113 million boxes were swiped in 2023 alone, and now, a new technology is using information from these past incidents to stop thefts in the future. FOX 10's Lauren Clark reports.
Prasad said the technology is designed to not only help package recipients, but merchants as well.
"One bad experience can make them lose their customers, so it’s very important that they are able to successfully deliver the packages," said Prasad.
There are other options to fight back against porch pirates, and they include installing security door cameras, using package tracking services, and even a porch lockbox.