So if you’re one of the lucky ones going down to New Orleans to cheer on your team in the Super Bowl, or just traveling with the family, choosing a hotel is serious business. This is not the time to be lazy about safety.
So before you fall into your cozy hotel room bed, take heed of these safety tips from the Independent Traveler and Detective Kevin Coffey, founder of Corporate Travel Safety. Read more →
The holidays are over and you may now have online gifts to return or exchange, so don’t forget about package delivery safety.
Packages are stolen each year, and reports of package thefts are appearing more and more in the headlines of our local news outlets. For example, on Monday, December 3, a group of Woburn, Mass. residents allegedly stole packages delivered to a home in Stoneham, Mass.
Also, Watertown, Mass. Police Lt. Michael Lawn is warning residents of the increase in packages stolen from doorsteps and apartment/condo lobbies.
“We have had a few reports recently and this is becoming a big problem especially around Christmas time when people are ordering many items online,” Lawn explains in a Patch.com article. “This is just not a problem in (apartment) buildings but also in residential neighborhoods. Police have caught people following delivery trucks and grabbing the boxes after they are delivered.”
Last year, the Wellesley, Mass. Police Department released this video after investigating several thefts of packages delivered to the front doors of residents’ homes.
So what can you do to avoid being a victim of this crime? Local police departments offer these three tips:
Check with your shipper for options. UPS offers My Choice, a service that alerts you by text or e-mail a day before the package is scheduled to arrive. You can reschedule the delivery for a different day or reroute the package to be delivered to a different address (a neighbor for example) if you won’t be home.
FedEx offers similar services, including allowing you to hold the package at a FedEx retail location for pickup, or you can go online and request to have the package delivered to your home within a specific delivery time window.
The USPS will hold mail for pick up under some circumstances. Talk to your local USPS office for further information. For instance, if you’re traveling during the holidays all USPS offices offer a hold mail service to keep your packages, and all your mail safe at one of their offices until you return.
Sidenote: Both FedEx and UPS are warning consumers about fraudulent e-mails this year. These e-mails may reference a failed delivery or a suspended account. They are actually “phishing” e-mails, even though they may appear legitimate and come complete with the company brand, logo or legal disclaimers.
These types of e-mails contain invalid hyperlinks that may contain malware, and could corrupt your computer. These are not legitimate e-mails, so if you receive one do not click on any links. Delete the e-mail. FedEx and UPS do not send unsolicited e-mails to customers requesting information regarding packages, payments, invoices, account numbers, passwords, financial information or personal information.
Read more about fraudulent e-mails at the FedEx and UPS websites.
Next Steps:
The importance of installing a home video security system was highlighted recently as a UPS driver was caught stealing a package from a customer’s door step. The driver made his delivery and left with a package sent earlier by another carrier. Luckily, the front and back doors were secured with video surveillance systems, catching the thief in the act.
As you watch the video proof below, know that the front and back doors are crucial places to set up residential video surveillance systems. With cameras positioned in these high-traffic areas, thieves are deterred and any intruders will be visible and captured on the surveillance system as evidence. With modern technology, video security systems can be accessed remotely, ensuring you’re always in the loop. Stay tuned for a follow-up blog post on how you can further protect yourself when packages are delivered by a carrier.
