‘Scum’: Worrying trend emerges in major city days before Christmas

As people complete their last-minute online shopping in the weeks leading up to the festive season, a worrying trend has emerged across the country.

Australians completing their last-minute shopping online have been warned to be extra cautious as a worrying trend emerges across the country days before Christmas.

So-called “porch pirates” have been out in full force across the country as Australians complete the last-minute Christmas rush, with footage of opportunistic thieves stealing parcels from front porches in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Canberra.

A resident from Hughsdale in Melbourne’s southeast in mid-December uploaded footage of a man allegedly stealing a parcel from a front porch and running away.

A man was spotted allegedly stealing a parcel from a Melbourne porch. Picture: Reddit

The criminal trend has taken off in major cities around the country. Picture: 7News

Online, the porch pirates were branded “scum” and shamed for pocketing packages so close to Christmas.

On December 7, a Canberra resident took to Reddit to warn others of “letter box bandits” and alerted locals of “rampant” criminal activity in the area.

The resident’s postie said porch pirates had started to “loiter outside an apartment and tailgate residence in to steal packages in the foyer”.

In Brisbane, people have reported instances of meal kits, furniture and Christmas presents snatched from their mailboxes, apartment lobbies and front doors.

Another resident, who lives in Ivanhoe in Melbourne’s northeast, was horrified when they came home on December 18 to “find packages stolen” from their front porch.

It was after the resident checked their security footage they discovered a woman collecting small parcels from the porch, placing them in her duffel bag and fleeing the scene.

Another Melbourne resident reportedly caught a thief in the act. Picture: Reddit

Residents in Canberra have seen a spike in letter box bandits, too. Picture: Reddit

Speaking to NewsWire, an Australia Post spokesperson said there were steps residents could take to prevent porch pirates.

“Theft after delivery is a criminal offence and we encourage customers to contact the police if they suspect their mail has been tampered with or stolen,” they said.

“Customers concerned about security or wanting a convenient alternative to home delivery can choose to redirect their mail and parcels to their local Post Office, a PO Box or one of our free 24/7 parcel lockers with the AusPost mobile app, even when the parcel is on its way.

“For any delivery service inquiries, we encourage customers to contact us on 13 POST so we can provide help and support,’ the spokesperson said.

Originally published as ‘Scum’: Worrying trend emerges in major city days before Christmas