Tis' the season to be jolly, and do your Christmas shopping off someone else's porch.

It's the most wonderful time of the year once again if you're a porch pirate.

Every year, the Christmas shopping season tends to bring out the worst in some people, especially those looking for a "five-finger discount."

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I have one of those camera surveillance systems at my house, and it seems like about every 30 minutes, a delivery guy drops off some kind of package on my doorstep. It's been so busy lately, I swear my house has become a UPS, Fed EX, and Amazon drop-off site.

I'm amazed no one has stolen anything from my doorstep yet. However, I'd love to see the expression on the porch pirate's face who does decide to take a box from my doorstep. They get that baby home, open it up, and find Barnaby Jones season one on VHS. (Cue the loser SFX from the gameshow Price is Right!!) Gotcha sucker!!!

With Christmas right around the corner, porch pirate season is in full effect again, and Dakota News Now is reporting on several different steps you can take to prevent from becoming a porch pirate victim.

According to Dakota News Now, the security firm Safewise says an estimated 120.5 million packages were stolen from doorsteps just last year. Most of the gifts being grabbed came from Amazon.

So how can you ensure that your gifts end up under your tree and not someone else's?

Experts recommend having the gifts you buy online delivered to your workplace or an Amazon Hub. Sioux Falls has several of those package pick-up spots all over town.

If you do choose to opt for home delivery, the Dakota News Now article says to consider turning on your porch lights. Lighting up a walkway oftentimes acts as a good deterrent for potential porch pirates.

You can also request that a signature be required at the time of delivery for a package to be dropped off.

If you’re not at home, a security camera or video doorbell can be extremely valuable in notifying you that a package has been delivered. A video security system can also tip you off when a package gets stolen, that way you're able to call authorities immediately and file a report.

Dakota News Now says that of the 120.5 million packages stolen last year, around 45 % of victims received a replacement, and 32% got a refund thanks to the help of customer service teams.

Source: Dakota News Now