Package Theft Concerns During Holiday Season

An estimated 260 million packages disappeared in the U.S. last year, many taken right from the front door area while a camera recorded the theft. As the holiday season kicks into high gear, package thefts are a top concern, and one shipping company is using artificial intelligence to combat porch pirates.

Nearly one in four adults had a package stolen in the last 12 months, a survey said. Theft can be an even more serious problem if those packages contain necessities, like medication, or expensive items.

"This time of year, we ship a lot of gifts, so every package is very special to the person receiving it," said Tarek Saab, president of a company that ships items like silver bars and gold coins.

This year, Saab is using a new data program called DeliveryDefense, which he says helps them identify addresses that are likely targets for theft.

The shipping company gave a news outlet a look at how the program works.

An artificial intelligence program has been developed to assess the likelihood of successful delivery based on the recipient's address. The program uses data from previous deliveries and other factors to generate a score, with a higher score indicating a higher chance of success. This technology aims to reduce the number of losses experienced by customers, with low-scoring addresses being rerouted to alternative pickup locations with the customer's approval. According to Mark Robinson, president of UPS Capital, around 2% of addresses are considered to have low confidence, but account for approximately 30% of customer losses. The program is expected to significantly reduce these numbers.

In response to the development of this technology, Saab from Texas Precious Metals acknowledges the need to utilize all available tech capabilities to combat challenges posed by criminals. He recognizes the importance of using computer systems to circumvent potential issues.