Is stealing an Amazon package a crime?

Is stealing an Amazon package a federal crime? In the U.S. it is a federal crime to tamper with the mail. Stealing a porch package is considered mail theft and believe it or not, you can face either federal or state charges. If you are charged with a federal crime, you could face up to five years in jail.

What if someone steals your Amazon package?

To file an Amazon Stolen Package Claim:

Find the order in question and select "Problem with Order." You will then be prompted to select the problem with your order. Enter that your package has not arrived. Finally, hit "Request Refund" and submit.

Should you call the police if your Amazon package was stolen?

Alert the police

If you suspect a porch pirate is responsible for your missing package, contact the police to file a report. While local law enforcement can't do much to ensnare package thieves right away, they can check neighborhood security cameras (or video doorbells!) for evidence.

Is it illegal to keep someone else's Amazon package?

Is it illegal to keep someone else's packages? A couple of federal laws make it illegal to take, steal, intercept, open, damage or destroy someone else's mail, or impede the delivery of mail. You could be looking at charges of mail theft or “obstruction of correspondence” if you're caught doing any of these things.

Does Amazon investigate stolen items?

In most cases, the seller will investigate the missing package or send a new item. But if the seller doesn't respond within 24 hours, you can file a claim with Amazon.

How Amazon Is Trying To Stop Package Theft

Do Amazon packages have trackers?

You can follow the progress of selected shipped packages in real time on a map. We'll notify you if you can track your package. To access Amazon Map Tracking, select Track Package from Your Orders or your shipment confirmation email. On the day of delivery, you can see the map when the driver is getting close to you.

Is stealing Amazon packages a felony?

Most people know that mail theft is a federal crime. In fact, it's a felony punishable by up to 5 years in prison. This applies whether a letter or package is sent via UPS, USPS or FedEx.

Can I keep an Amazon package that was delivered to me by mistake?

Now, you might wonder what happens if the tables turn and you get an Amazon package that isn't yours. Legally, you're allowed to keep a mistaken delivery. Surprising, right? The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has rules that allow you to keep merchandise that's wrongly delivered — even if you didn't pay for it.

What if I get an Amazon package that isn't mine?

Report the unordered package to Amazon customer service at (888) 280-4331. Report the scam to the Federal Trade Commission online or by phone at (877) 382-4357. Change the password on your Amazon account and any other accounts that have the same password.

Can I keep an Amazon package that is not mine?

You could also try asking your neighbors if your package was sent to their address. Is it illegal to keep someone else's packages? It's not illegal to keep a package that you didn't order. The Federal Trade Commission states that you don't need to pay or return a package that was accidentally sent to you.

Can Amazon report you to the police?

Amazon reserves the right to respond immediately to urgent law enforcement requests for information in cases involving a threat to public safety or risk of harm to any person. These requests must be submitted through the Amazon Law Enforcement Request Tracker (“ALERT”) by selecting the emergency request button.

How common is Amazon package theft?

Nearly 1 in 4 (23 percent) of our respondents say that they've had a package stolen in the three months leading up to March 2022, beating the previous peak in December 2020.

Does Amazon always refund stolen packages?

Retailers have different policies and processes for handling stolen items, but you're usually entitled to a refund or a replacement. Amazon covers most stolen packages through its "A-to-Z" Guarantee Protection.

Can I keep a package I didn't order?

Is this legal? Under state and federal law, recipients of unordered merchandise may keep the goods and are under no obligation to pay for or return them. The recipient may treat the merchandise as an unconditional gift—and may use or dispose of the merchandise as he or she sees fit.

What to do if you accidentally open someone else's Amazon package?

if possible, reseal the envelope and personally deliver to the intended recipient with an apology, a neighbor for example. if a personal apology is not feasible, re-seal the mail and drop in a post box for re-delivery.

What happens if you get a package that isn't yours?

When you receive a mistaken delivery, call customer service for the delivery company and explain the situation. Give them the tracking number on the package, as well as the name and address on the package if it's different from yours. The company will come and pick up the product within a reasonable time frame.

Will Amazon resend stolen packages?

If you are now entirely sure that your Amazon package was stolen from the porch, you can contact Amazon directly. Chat with customer service to let them know the details of the issue. Amazon retailers should be able to send out new packages or can issue refunds to the customer.

Are package thieves ever caught?

Unfortunately, package thieves often get away with it. In an interview with IndyStar, Sean Stoops, a Police Chief from Indiana, reported that “typically the items that are successfully stolen from the porches do not get recovered.” Another source claims that less than 10% of porch piracy cases lead to police arrests.

What happens if you get caught stealing packages?

Theft of U.S. Mail can qualify as a federal offense. This can result in a federal prison sentence of up to 5 years and a fine up to $250,000.00.

Do porch pirates go to jail?

Dubbed the Porch Piracy Act, the bill made the crime a misdemeanor punishable by a year in jail, a $500 fine, or both. But anyone caught committing the act three times in a 60-day period can be charged with a felony, which can mean two to five years in prison plus a fine up to $5,000, or both.

Can a package be traced?

Can you track a USPS package by address? A USPS package has to be tracked using the tracking number, not the address to which it was sent. However, with the Informed Delivery service added to your USPS account, you can track packages you send as well as those sent to your address.

Does Amazon Watch their employees?

The documents detail how intricately Amazon tracks workers, monitoring the activity of each workers' handheld package scanner to determine whether that worker is spending "time off task." Amazon keeps a tally of each worker's TOT down to the minute.

Are Amazon returns tracked?

You can stay on top of your returns by tracking them in Your Orders. Only returns with a prepaid label from Your Orders are trackable.

How much does Amazon lose to theft?

The annual amount lost to package theft is an estimated $19.5 billion, according to a report.

Do returns hurt your Amazon account?

However, their system analyzes your purchase history and will mark your account as “Concession Abuse”. They will stop accepting returns for all of your future orders and if you somehow keep abusing the policy, your account will be permanently suspended.