Dallas

Protect Your Packages from Thieves This Holiday

More packages are being delivered to homes this holiday season, which means there is a greater chance for your goods to be stolen right from your doorstep.

Law enforcement officers said there are several things you can to protect your items.

Luke Hejl, of Fort Worth, said a thief swiped something precious from his front porch on the day before Thanksgiving.

"You just see a guy walk up to the front door, grab the package, turn and run," Hejl said. "It was our Christmas cards. So we had ordered them and we were excited about getting them and sending them out."

Hejl posted a message about the theft to his neighborhood's Nextdoor social media page, and soon he was bombarded with other families reporting the same thing.

"People were saying their packages had been stolen and, yes, we need to be careful," he said.

Adobe predicts this year's Cyber Monday will become the largest online shopping day in history, with sales nearing $3.3 billion.

Online sales during Black Friday weren't far behind at $2.74 billion.

That means more packages delivered to homes and a greater chance for your goods to be stolen.

Experts recommend several ways to reduce the risk of having your packages stolen, including having your packages delivered to your work.

If that's not possible, retailers suggest tracking your package online to the point of delivery, and if you're not home when it arrives, call a neighbor to pick it up.

Finally, companies like UPS said to have your deliveries shipped directly to their store, and they will hold it for you for a period of time.

As for the Hejls' Christmas cards, it turns out they didn't make it too far.

"I think the thief got in the car and they looked to see what their loot was and it was somebody's Christmas cards. It's just 150 reminders of the theft they had just done, so they threw them out the window," Hejl said.

A neighbor found the cards still in their packaging down the street.

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