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Almost One-Third of the UK Have Had a Parcel Go Missing from Outside Their Home

Technology 23 November 2022 By

Just in time for the Black Friday rush of gift grabbing, home security specialists, SimpliSafe, has found just how many Brits are falling victim to porch pirates. 

  • A third of people surveyed have had a parcel go missing from their porch or safe place.
  • Men are more likely to have a parcel stolen than women.
  • Under 34s are the most affected, with 38% having had a parcel go missing at least once.
  • The younger generations are most affected by ‘porch pirates’ than older generations, with 79% of those over 55s never having a parcel go missing.

In today’s digital age, online shopping has well surpassed the high street. With online shopping comes deliveries, and with a rise in deliveries, an unfortunate trend has emerged; one of the criminal opportunists known as ‘porch pirates’ – a term coined in the US and becoming increasingly popular in the UK, which refers to the theft of parcels from porches and doorsteps. 

Diving deeper into this worrying trend, home security specialists, SimpliSafe, has found just how many Brits fall victim to porch pirates. 

Shockingly, almost one-third of those surveyed admitted that they have had a parcel go missing at least once from their safe place at home. This could mean that up to 19,009,200 parcels have gone missing from porches and other safe places across the country. 

More men have reported parcels going missing than women, with over 30% of men have had a package disappear from their doorstep, compared to only a quarter of women. 

There is a common theme within the survey data which outlines the division between the older and younger generations. Younger generations are more likely to have a parcel go missing, with this happening to 38% of those under 34s at least once. On the other hand, 79% of those over 55s have never had a parcel go missing.

Does this highlight the technological gap in the generations, or are fewer of their parcels going missing due to them being at home more often? Or are porch pirates simply capitalising on this technological shift to online shopping? 

With these shocking statistics and the cost of living crisis, the UK general manager at SimpliSafe, Jonathan Wall, advises Brits to take extra measures to secure parcels, especially with Christmas around the corner. 

“With Black Friday sales and Christmas approaching, the number of delivered parcels increases during the festive season. The statistics from the survey are concerning, especially if around 19 million people could be a victim of parcel theft. Regarding compensation and reporting a missing parcel, Citizens Advice reported that one in three consumers who had an issue said they took no action as they didn’t think it’d make a difference. But what if there could be video evidence of an item being stolen or to deter the porch pirate in the first place?”

“There are extra measures that could be taken to secure online deliveries. One potential solution is to use an outdoor camera or video doorbell to keep an eye on what’s happening on your property 24/7 and deter would-be porch pirates away from your home. It’ll also provide extra peace of mind. You could also avoid the problem by getting your parcel delivered to a neighbour or workplace.”