Online sales in November and December this year are expected to grow by 33 percent, with tens of millions of packages being delivered unattended on door-steps.

With the surge in online sales this year brought on by the pandemic, the Better Business Bureau is warning consumers to be extra careful when having packages shipping to your home when nobody is home. Shippers like UPS and FedEx offer the option to hold the package at their local facility, ensuring that it won’t be stolen from your porch. Stephanie Garland of the Better Business Bureau has more suggestions, “We understand; there are so many people who are hard workers, and will be at work, that if there is a way that you can come home on your lunch break, if you can have, a trusted neighbor who doesn’t work stop by, a stay at home mom or dad go by and pick it up for you. Of if you can even get it delivered to your office, if you are in fact in the office.” Monitoring the online tracking once the item ships will also provide insight into when the package will arrive. Also, many retailers are offering having items shipped to their stores so that you can pick-up the purchases when you have time. For more information about protecting yourself and scams in the area, visit BBB.org.