Law enforcement warns about holiday package theft

CAMPBELL, Calif. - As more people shop online for the holidays, authorities are warning residents to take precautions to make sure their packages won't stolen.

The National Retail Federation says more people shopped online this Thanksgiving holiday weekend compared to visiting physical stores, marking a significant shift in holiday retail shopping.

Campbell resident Jordan Harbinger knows that feeling all too well after an unusual theft of a pricey package that was swiped in seconds.

Three weeks ago, he ordered a high-end toilet seat on Amazon that Campbell police say is valued at more than $700.

He received an alert from Amazon on his phone that the package was delivered, but when he arrived at home it was missing from his front porch.

"We looked at our video doorbell that we had just installed, and -- sure enough -- there was video of someone walking by, spotting the package. He comes back takes it and takes off," said Harbinger.

The November 10 theft was all captured on a high-tech doorbell which has a surveillance camera and motion-sensor inside and hooks up to Harbinger's smart phone.

His story is a warning for other online shoppers to take care when ordering packages to be delivered to your home.

"Today's the first time I've ever done Cyber Monday [shopping] and I did it because I didn't want to be around the crowds this year and I thought I could save some money and some time," said Linda Donahue.

At PrideStaff staffing agency in San Jose, the company offers one deterrent to package theft for their employees.

"We let them receive the packages here, because we can sign for them," says co-owner Laney Donahue-Nott.

For people who can't do that, retailers recommend you set up alerts on your phone or have packages delivered to an Amazon locker or FedEx facility. 

FedEx says after placing an order, you can take the tracking number and go online to input preferences for delivery and time.

Kirthi Kalyanam, the Director of the Retail Management Institute at Santa Clara University, says the industry is still catching up with the problem.

"i think we haven't quite come to terms with the phenomenon and I think it's going to be an increasing problem," said Kalyanam.

Meanwhile Harbinger has maintained his sense of humor about the theft of the toilet seat he ordered and hopes the video helps catch the thief who hasn't been caught.

"i just hope this helps flush out the thieves so that police can put a lid on this one," said Harbinger.

Harbinger says he and his neighbors are now in contact and will message each other if they are not going to be around and need someone to pick up a delivery. He also said he was able to recover the entire amount of the item because he purchased it on his American Express credit card and they reimbursed him for the theft.