Students are opening up their homes and cars following crimes happening on their own welcome mats.

Only days after moving in, “porch pirates” targeted IU senior, Meredith Mangus’ new Bloomington home. Porch pirates steal packages off of homeowner’s front door areas and they are targeting IU students. Mangus knew she fell victim to porch theft after receiving a delivery confirmation and coming home to an empty porch. “Once I came home from class, I was all excited and looking for them on the porch and they weren’t there,” Mangus said. “I was really disappointed.”

With the rise of online shopping, more and more are falling victim to porch thefts. According to YourLocalSecurity.com, 73% of Americans believe their porch is a safe place for package deliveries. However, USA Today reports that more than half of Americans say they know someone who’s had a package stolen from outside their home, and 30% say they’ve experienced it themselves. To prevent porch thefts, police recommend telling a trusted neighbor about any upcoming shipments or installing a doorbell camera.

Companies including Amazon are now offering new delivery options to help combat the national issue. Some options include in-home delivery where you can watch the delivery happening live. Online shoppers can also select in-car delivery where packages gain one-time access into the customer’s vehicle. Students, including Mangus, are looking into these new options because she says she will continue to shop online. “From now on, I can try to look into a different delivery service,” Mangus said. “I’m busy with class and a bunch of other stuff and it’s not like you can be home all the time to get a package.”