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How to keep your packages safe during the holiday season

Posted at 7:59 PM, Oct 19, 2017
and last updated 2017-10-19 23:38:38-04

NORFOLK, Va. - The Cliffords love to travel and camp. They ordered camping chairs for an upcoming trip, but watched it get stolen instead. Wednesday afternoon, a man in a bright orange shirt walked up the their front door with a rake in his hand. Then, he can be seen looking at the package and carried it off.

"I guess he wanted to rake our yard and decided to take our property instead," said Chris Clifford.

Fedex had delivered their package just a few hours before.

"I felt vulnerable. My wife and I were on our way home from shopping and you just see someone taking something off your doorstep. You're not home and you can't do something about it and you just feel vulnerable and not safe," said Clifford.

So what can you do to protect packages you order online?

Both UPS and Fedex can hold your packages at their locations for you to pickup. Amazon also offers lockers you can access 24/7. But what if you don't have time for that?

Package guard is the size of a frisbee. Your package is placed on top and if removed by a porch pirate without being disarmed in the app, a 100-decibel alarm goes off and you'll get an alert on your phone.

Landport is a beautiful, but sturdy box you bolt down. The code is given to delivery drivers and once packages are inside, the heavy duty latch snaps shut. You can access it any time you'd like since it's on your front step.

The Cliffords are glad they were able to get surveillance video of the thief. Now, they are hoping he's caught.