Protecting your packages from theft

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) - With the holiday season in full swing, packages after packages are hitting front porches.

It's an open opportunity for thieves.

They've figured out how to find who is vulnerable by following delivery trucks and checking to see who is home and who's not.

Milagros Johnson of the Springfield Mayor's Office of Consumer Affairs has these tips to avoid becoming a victim.

• Never send cash
• Insure your packages
• Choose alternate address (A relative or friend who is home during the day or even a work address.)
• Request signature confirmation
• Ask to hold package at deliver company location
• Request digital alert (Text or email letting you know package has been delivered)

Johnson said, “A lot of customers are receiving a lot of personal documents in the mail like social security and account numbers and that's a concern.  Consumers need to make sure they check their mailboxes every day to not let the mailbox sit in there longer than it should. ”