Package snatchers spoil the holidays

Sharing this timely warning from Consumer Reports’ Money Blog: “Brazen package snatchers have been known to shadow FedEx, UPS, and U.S. Post Office trucks, swooping in to steal items if homeowners are away or too slow to retrieve them.”

To help ensure a happy holiday:

• Choose a shipping option that requires a signature for delivery.
• Track deliveries online.
• If you can’t be home when the package will arrive, arrange to have it left with a neighbor or held for pickup.
• Have the package shipped where someone is likely to be around, like your office.
• If the item is valuable, purchase insurance.
• If a package is missing, contact your credit card company. Some offer purchase protection – at no extra charge – to guard against theft (and accidental damage, too) for 90 days from the date of purchase.

A California family caught their Grinch on surveillance video: