Yahoo Lifestyle Australia Post warns residents as 'brazen' act caught on camera
There has been an uptick in the number of parcels being pinched from outside the front of homes.
Australia Post is warning residents to be vigilant after the number of parcels being pinched from doorsteps has increased, with two seperate incidences caught on home security cameras in as many days this week.
On Monday a Manly resident in Sydney's northeast caught an offender unlatching his gate and grabbing not one but three of his parcels at his front door, while on Tuesday a resident had her parcel stolen from her doorstep in Stanmore in the city's inner west. She claims the contents of her mail were rummaged through before the empty box was "dumped" behind her home.
Both residents were shocked by the "brazen" and "opportunistic" acts and Australia Post is now urging people to report such criminal behaviour to police.
"Theft of parcels and mail after delivery is a criminal offence and customers should get in touch with police if they suspect their mail has been tampered with or stolen," an Australia Post spokesperson told Yahoo News.
Cost of living believed to be behind 'disheartening' trend
A report released by Finder revealed one in five Aussies had a parcel stolen from them between April 2022 and April 2023. The trend doesn't show any signs of slowing down either, with the high cost of living causing some struggling Australians to "bend their morals a little more than usual".
"People are strapped for cash at the moment, it's a real slap in the face to have something you've paid for to arrive and then it get stolen," Sarah Megginson from Finder told Yahoo News. "Quite a lot of people are doing this as a crime of opportunity.
"It's really disheartening to see that this is a trend that is increasing."
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It was reported that the average cost of a stolen parcel was $129, meaning a staggering $541 million worth of mail disappeared, with business as well as residents taking the brunt of the loss, according to Finder.
"It causes problems for a number of people ... businesses need to make a profit, residents miss out," Megginson lamented.
How to reduce the chances of getting your parcel stolen
Australia Post is encouraging the public to download the AusPost app which gives customers access to self-service parcel lockers, meaning their mail is stored securely before collection, or to redirect parcels to a post office to hold until they can pick it up in person.
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