Pasadena, Texas – With the holiday season upon us, the Better Business Bureau is offering advice for people who are shopping online and expecting deliveries.
“You have to be tracking very carefully when you get your package and make sure you have someone to pick it up if you can’t be there,” said Vice President of operations for the BBB of Greater Houston and South Texas Leah Napoliello.
Roughly 30 minutes after a package was delivered, a Houston woman told KPRC 2 her doorbell camera captured something else.
“We literally saw a lady take our packages and walk away with them,” said the woman, who didn’t want to be identified.
The woman said the two packages outside her front gate contained Christmas presents and electronics.
“There’s disappointment, annoyance, anger, a little bit of all of the above,” she said.
Just this week, the Pasadena Police Department shared a video on Facebook. The post said the suspects in the video stole several packages from the front porch of a home on Nov. 23.
“Everyone has to be very cautious and aware that this could happen,” Napoliello said.
Napoliello said don’t leave packages sitting out and consider requiring a signature or even sending items to your office.
“If you cannot be there and you’re at work every day, then it is a really good idea to have the package delivered to your office so then you can pick it up easily,” Napoliello said.
One law enforcement agency is taking action.
The Harris County Sheriff’s Office said it’s doing stings this year in order to catch porch pirates.