Usually reserved as the subject of history or fiction in the United States, piracy has new applications for American households and online retail.
While magnified by the coronavirus pandemic, many households opt for convenience by ordering groceries, gifts, and other products online. This trend continues despite risks from porch piracy, which refers to the theft of doorstep deliveries. It isn’t slowing ahead of the 2023 holiday season.
In a June 2023 survey by the consulting firm PwC, half of respondents reported that they intend to increase online shopping in the next six months despite a recent study reporting that 23.8 percent of participants had experienced package delivery theft. Some reports even suggest it could be as high as one-third of all households that have experienced porch piracy. Consumers have persisted with online shopping as a service, even though it carries a greater chance of theft.
Lawmakers know it’s a serious issue. The question is, what are they going to do about it?
Title 18 of the U.S. Code, which outlines various criminal provisions and penalties, contains sections 659 and 2117 that address the theft and tampering with interstate or foreign shipments by carriers. These sections are designed to protect the transportation of goods and chattels, whether by rail, truck or other means, and ensure the security of the supply chain.
Read the full Inside Sources article here.
Ben Dennehy is the Communications Director at the American Consumer Institute, a nonprofit education and research organization. For more information about the Institute, visit us at www.TheAmericanConsumer.Org or follow us on Twitter @ConsumerPal.