Police this week charged two people with stealing holiday packages from the steps of homes in a Massachusetts city.

Keegan Macrae, 20, and his girlfriend Cassandra Cabrera, 18, both of Haverhill, Massachusetts, are charged with five and four counts of larceny respectively, police said. Investigators said the couple took the packages containing Christmas gifts from doorsteps in Bradford, Massachusetts, and the Riverside, Massachusetts, area on Dec. 2 and 3.

Robberies such as those in Massachusetts are becoming increasingly commonplace as consumers do more of their holiday shopping online and use package delivery services as a result. The convenience, however, comes with risks. A new survey from InsuranceQuotes.com says nearly 23 million people have had packages stolen from their homes before they could open them.

“Many thieves don’t have anything better to do than to follow delivery trucks around town to see what kind of packages they leave at the doorsteps of homes,” said Robert Siciliano, a personal and home security specialist.

Insurance specialists and law enforcement officials offer the following suggestions to prevent what’s become known as “porch pirating” this holiday season:

• When possible, have packages delivered to a location — either a neighbor’s house or your workplace — where they can be received in person and signed for. Or, if the online retailer offers the option, schedule delivery for a specific time so you can be home.

“I know that some folks have a sign-only provision with their deliveries,” said Sgt. John Bowling with the Indiana State Police’s Pendleton District. “That’s the No. 1 thing I would suggest. If you fear something being stolen or if it’s of great value, make sure you’re there when it arrives.”

• Make arrangements with local delivery services to leave packages in a “hidden” location, such as a side door, garage or other place away from street view.

“I’ve talked to UPS delivery men in the past, and they’ve said that some folks have a designated drop-off spot,” Bowling said. “You can have a specific drop-off point, and it doesn’t have to be your front door, where if you can’t be there, you can be confident those packages will stay out of sight.”

• Consider having packages shipped to a local store for pickup.
• Take advantage of email and delivery alerts on your smartphone so you can be notified when a package arrives.

If a package does come up missing and you suspect theft, Bowling says it’s important to contact local law enforcement and file a report right away. He also suggests contacting your credit card company to find out if it offers any kind of purchase protection service that could reimburse you.

“It all comes back to your community,” he said. “It’s about everyone watching out for everyone else in the neighborhood, which is something we advocate all year round, not just this time of year.”

In the Massachusetts case, police credited neighbors who saw a man and a woman in a black sports car taking packages from the porches of homes with reporting their suspicions immediately.

Macrae and Cabrera were taken to Essex County Jail in Middleton, Massachusetts, where they were held on $2,000 bail.