CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A warning for online shoppers, especially if you're traveling for the holidays -- watch out for people who are stealing packages from your front door. Thieves have been targeting porches across the Charlotte area, and some tips could help keep them away.
While hundreds of thousands fly elsewhere for Thanksgiving, others may be watching their homes.
In just seconds, a package can be stolen from your home.
South Carolina mother Kristy Chasse said she returned home to find $150 worth of her son’s Christmas gifts stolen from her front porch.
"I would forgive them if I got them back," her son Landon Chasse previously told NBC Charlotte.
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The doorbell camera showed the package was stolen less than four minutes after UPS delivered it.
Police say it's a crime becoming more common.
In Gaston County, a homeowner said he watched in real-time as this truck pulled into his driveaway then took off with his package.
"I was almost in disbelief at first," Jacob Hanes previously said. "You just feel violated and like your privacy was intruded on."
Police say home surveillance is a good idea, as well as considering getting your packages delivered to work. If possible, the best plan is to have someone home when the package is delivered.
That way, hopefully when you return home from the holidays, your packages are still there.