AARP Virginia Issues Scam Alert: Package Theft

The holidays may be over, but Porch Pirate season never ends. While at-home deliveries are at their highest over the holiday season, direct-to-home shopping happens every day around the country.

Here are some simple steps you can take to safeguard your orders: schedule deliveries for times when you are home; ask neighbors to pick up packages for you if you can’t be home; ask the shipper to put packages out of sight, like on a side porch or under a bush; and use parcel lockers if they are available in your area.


Also, be aware of emails claiming a package is being held and the shipper needs more information. These can be phishing attacks meant to capture payment information or to get you to download malicious software.



Be a fraud fighter! If you can spot a scam, you can stop a scam.



Report scams to local law enforcement. For help from AARP, call 1-877-908-3360 or visit the AARP Fraud Watch Network at http://www.aarp.org/fraudwatchnetwork.



With more than 1 million members in Virginia, AARP is the largest organization working on behalf of people age 50+ and their families in the Commonwealth.



To learn more about AARP Virginia, like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/aarpvirginia and follow @AARPVa on Twitter at www.twitter.com/aarpva.



AARP is the nation’s largest nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to empowering Americans 50 and older to choose how they live as they age. With nearly 38 million members and offices in every state, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, AARP works to strengthen communities and advocate for what matters most to families with a focus on health security, financial stability and personal fulfillment. AARP also works for individuals in the marketplace by sparking new solutions and allowing carefully chosen, high-quality products and services to carry the AARP name. As a trusted source for news and information, AARP produces the nation's largest circulation publications, AARP The Magazine and AARP Bulletin. To learn more, visit www.aarp.org or follow @AARP and @AARPadvocates on social media.