Seventeen percent of Americans had a parcel stolen from outside their home in the last three months, with the average stolen package containing around $50 worth of merchandise. So it’s natural to worry about criminals swiping any Black Friday bargains delivered to your property in the next few weeks.
One way to catch thieves is to conceal a GPS tracking device in a fake package on your porch. You’ll receive real-time notifications when someone removes that parcel from your doorstep and takes it to another location, helping you find who is responsible for the crime.
Discover more about how to prevent package theft in this guide.
What Is Black Friday GPS Tracking?
GPS trackers, like those sold by LandAirSea (LAS), are small, discreet devices that receive signals from the Global Positioning System — a series of satellites that orbit the Earth. These accessories send real-time location data to your desktop or smart device, so you know the whereabouts of any item attached to them at all times. With LAS, this is as simple as setting up push notifications through the SilverCloud app, which is available on Google Play and the App Store. You can also open the app and view an item’s location on a live map.
Say you purchase a product during a Black Friday sale and have it delivered to your home. Once that item arrives on your doorstep, you can attach a GPS tracker to it and receive notifications on your smartphone if someone removes it from that location. In this scenario, it’s likely a criminal will notice a tracker on your package and return it to your porch. This discovery could scare the thief and prevent them from stealing parcels from your home in the future.
The Best Way To Prevent Package Theft This Black Friday
You could place a GPS tracker inside a fake parcel — perhaps an empty Amazon box. Filling this box with packing peanuts or bubble wrap will make criminals think it contains something of value. Then, you can position the box on your porch and see if someone steals it. If they do, you can view the whereabouts of your decoy parcel as it moves from your home to a second destination. At this point, you can share the location of your item with law enforcement, who might be able to catch the criminal and charge them with theft.
For this method to work, you need a GPS tracking device with a long-lasting battery. LAS devices are a good choice. The LandAirSea Overdrive, for example, can last up to 365 days before you need to charge it again. The LandAirSea 54, slightly smaller than the Overdrive, has a similar battery life.
Choose a GPS tracker that alerts you when someone steals a package outside your home. With LAS devices, you can create a virtual perimeter called a geofence around your porch on a map. When a parcel with a GPS tracker attached to it leaves that geofence, suggesting theft, you’ll receive notifications on your smartphone. You can then send law enforcement a screenshot of your parcel’s new location via LAS’ ShareSpot feature.
Why Should You Track Packages This Black Friday?
The U.S. Postal Service sent around 13 billion pieces of mail during the 2021 holiday season. Many “porch pirates” capitalize on this busy sales period by stealing packages from outside homes, including items purchased during Black Friday sales.
A stolen package is more than a mere nuisance. If someone takes a parcel from your porch, it can be difficult to prove a theft occurred. As a result, a retailer might not refund or replace your item, leaving you out of pocket. A porch theft can also be heartbreaking if you purchased a gift for someone. If a retailer no longer has that item or increases its price after Black Friday, you’re out of luck.
That’s why you should track packages with a GPS device at this time of year. The decoy parcel method above can help you catch people stealing packages in your neighborhood and let you potentially recover stolen items with the help of law enforcement. LAS trackers are an affordable way to prevent package theft and provide peace of mind before, during, and after Black Friday. The company has pioneered surveillance technology since the ’90s and works with industries such as border control, local government, and the military.
GPS devices can also be useful for proving a theft to insurance companies. If you take out a policy when purchasing an item online, real-time location data can serve as evidence of a stolen package, speed up your claim resolution, and let you access the funds you need.
How LAS Can Help Prevent Package Theft
Black Friday is one of the busiest times for criminals because so many people purchase products online. Placing a GPS tracker in a decoy package on your porch can help you catch thieves and prevent them from stealing items delivered to your home.
Although many GPS trackers exist, LAS products offer multiple benefits. As well as ShareSpot and geofencing technology, these devices are up to 80% cheaper than similar accessories and come with long-lasting batteries. Plus, LAS trackers are easy to install and activate, making it simpler than ever to track your items. They are also waterproof and dustproof, which results in more effective tracking.
Check out LAS products that prevent package theft, or email [email protected] for more information about Black Friday GPS tracking.