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How to protect your online purchases from 'porch pirates'

Worried about whether your online purchases will end up under the tree? Keep thieves at bay with these tips!

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WHAS11) — More and more people do their holiday shopping online every year, and many of those buyers have their gifts delivered.

However, then comes the issue of leaving your packages vulnerable to so-called “Porch Pirates”. If this is a concern you have, here are a few tips and tricks to defend yourself – and your purchases – against them.

If you want to make sure that you aren’t a victim of package theft, you can take the obvious route: do it the old-fashioned way and shop in person.

If you do choose to shop online, here are a few tips:

-If you shop with Amazon, you can leave delivery instructions for your courier to put packages somewhere other than your front porch.

-Ship the package to your work address.

-Form a buddy system with your neighbors, so they know when your packages are being delivered. If you aren’t home, they can hold onto them for you.

-Request that a signature is required on all deliveries.

If you’re really concerned with security and these tips don’t seem to help, you can install security cameras and put up signs to deter would-be thieves or catch burglars in the act.

►Contact reporter Rob Harris at rjharris@whas11.com. Follow him on Twitter (@robharristv) and Facebook.

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