ALBANY, GA -- In the past couple of years the popularity of Cyber Monday has exploded; that day when people flock online to do their holiday shopping. It's also no secret for thieves.
“You can go down someone's alley and down their street and see everything they've purchased because they just dispose of all their boxes and left over by their trash,” said Dougherty County Sheriff Kevin Sproul.
Law Enforcement says criminals are looking for those boxes outside because it tells them what's inside your home.
“Don't discard all that at one time. Do it one this week and another next week or take them to a landfill,” said Sproul.
But there are also cases when those packages might not even get to your hands.
“Individuals have called our office and said I was expecting a package from u.p.s. fed-ex or one of the other delivery services and I’ve contacted them and they said they dropped it off, but they never got the package,” said Sproul.
Unless asked most delivery services will drop off packages at the front door but if you know you won't be home you can coordinate with them.
“Have the package shipped to the location where you are going to be at. Don't have the package shipped to grandma's house if you know grandma's is not going to be home. Another thing is; leave a note for the driver, could you have this package left in a secure location, example back door, side door or porch,” said Jason Kunkel of the Fed-Ex Express in Albany.
You can even request that you pick up the package at the distribution center.
If those items are stolen after you get your hands on them, police want you to think red.
“All you have to do is keep the three letters in mind: RED. R; Record all the serial numbers the make and model of the item. E; engrave it with a special marking that only you know, where it is and what it is and D; document by taking photographs or video-taping the item,” said Phyllis Banks of the Albany Police Department.
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