The holiday season has always invited a certain amount of opportunism — packages sitting on porches, wallets left in pockets while you grab a coffee — but this year some thieves aren’t just stuffing boxes into a bag and walking away. Police and cybersecurity experts say criminals are borrowing from the hacker playbook: using Wi‑Fi jammers to blind doorbell cameras, radio repeaters to open cars, and RFID skimmers to clone credit cards.
Across the country, victims are waking up to empty porches and, in some cases, blank video feeds. In North Carolina, cybersecurity consultant Craig Petronella described to local reporters how a small device can flood a home’s wireless network with noise, effectively shutting off a Ring or other wireless camera. “They get in close proximity, push a button, and it floods the wireless network with packets … and basically shuts the camera off,” he said.
Meanwhile in Massachusetts and Wisconsin, homeowners shared doorbell footage and stills of brazen thieves taking packages in daylight. In Quincy, police formed a task force after a spike in thefts near delivery times; in Milwaukee, residents posted multiple videos of porch pirates who acted without disguise or haste. And in Sherman, Texas, police told residents the number of reported porch thefts in recent weeks was noticeably above normal.
How thieves are upgrading their tools
- Wi‑Fi jammers: Cheap, easy to build or buy, these devices create wireless interference that can knock out cameras or sensors that rely on home Wi‑Fi. The result: no footage, no timestamped proof, and a harder investigation.
- Key‑fob repeater attacks: Thieves use a pair of signal‑boosting devices to capture and relay the radio signal from a car key fob inside a house, tricking the car into thinking the key is nearby. It’s how otherwise locked vehicles suddenly open and start.
- RFID skimming and cloning: Some cards and contactless payment devices use RFID technologies that broadcast short‑range signals. A skilled attacker with a reader—sometimes no closer than a few feet—can capture information and clone a card.
- Use wired or hardened cameras: If you can, install hard‑wired cameras that don’t rely on home Wi‑Fi, or choose devices that support more modern encryption protocols such as WPA3. For people tracking device and sync behavior across phones and wearables, ongoing changes in device networking also matter—recent reporting explored how manufacturers are changing Wi‑Fi sync features to comply with new rules, and those updates can affect how devices authenticate on home networks. Read more about that here: Apple to Disable iPhone–Apple Watch Wi‑Fi Sync in EU as DMA Deadline Looms.
- Shield your car key fob: A simple Faraday pouch blocks the radio signal from a key fob so thieves can’t amplify it. Don’t leave spare fobs near doors or windows.
- Protect contactless cards: Keep cards in a lined wallet or buy an RFID‑blocking sleeve. If you prefer a dedicated solution, consider an RFID‑blocking wallet (check latest price: available on Amazon).
- Track and reroute deliveries: Request delivery notifications, require a signature for expensive items, or ship to an alternative address (work, a neighbor you trust, or an Amazon Locker). Small tracking tags like AirTag can help locate missing items; if you’re shopping for tracking tags, a common deal surfaced recently for the AirTag 4‑pack and using one on high‑value shipments adds a layer of recovery potential. You can also buy the AirTag accessory through common retailers.
- Report thefts quickly: File a police report and a claim with the carrier (UPS, FedEx, USPS and Amazon all have online options). If you captured footage, save the original file and share it with investigators — many recent recoveries and arrests have relied on doorbell camera evidence.
These aren’t just isolated anecdotes. The Better Business Bureau and security sites reported billions lost to porch piracy nationwide last year, and local police departments say they see the seasonal uptick every year — intensified now by newer, low‑cost electronics.
Practical steps to protect packages, cars and cards
You don’t have to be a security expert to make it harder for criminals.
Local police departments emphasize that video evidence and quick reporting improve the chances of recovery. In Quincy, the task force also recommends shipping valuables in plain, unbranded boxes and staggering deliveries when possible to make packages less attractive.
This is one holiday problem that combines old habits with new tools: the same urge to take a package left on a doorstep, amplified by radio gear and off‑the‑shelf electronics. A few simple changes — physical pouches for keys, an RFID wallet, better camera choices, and smarter delivery options — can shift the balance back toward the people who paid for the gifts.
If you believe you were the victim of a theft, contact your local police non‑emergency line and the carrier immediately; early action gives investigators and insurers the best chance to help.