7 On Your Side reveals new twist on front porch package robberies

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- 'Tis the season for people to steal packages right from front porches.

We've been calling them "porch pirates," and they've now come up with a new twist on the crime of the season.

Everyone has seen the video of packages taken off porches and doorsteps. That means we are on the alert and the bad guys are coming up with a new way to work this old rip-off.

It was a nice day Thursday in San Francisco's Sunset District. At about midday, a letter carrier dropped off a package, which was recorded by a surveillance camera mounted on a family home.

Andrew Bolles mounted the camera and says the package was never found.

"My roommate let me know, he said, 'Hey, I think there was a package delivered but I don't see it.' He kept looking outside. He knew it was delivered about 12:30, so that's when he told me, you know, 'Hey, can we check the camera,'" Bolles said.

They pulled the video and the roommate was right - the package had been delivered.

"It took about half an hour and we finally saw someone walk up the stairs, walk down and we said, 'Gotcha,'" Bolles said.

The video does not show the package being picked up, but it sure appears the person is walking away with more items than they were carrying when they arrived.

The video shows a pair working together, maybe even working the street.

The person on the far side of the street crossed over and met up with the one on Bolles' side of the street. They both carry what could be pamphlets or other paperwork.

"It is possible, because of the papers, that they were carrying we think that maybe if someone answers the door, they're ready to have an excuse of why they were there. Something along that line of, 'We are just here to hand out a pamphlet and don't worry about it, and don't mind us. We are just walking around.' Something like that, something along that effect," Bolles said.

"I actually have not heard of anyone using pamphlets as a way to kind of look at packages on the front porch and use that as a way to blend into the neighborhood, so this is something that's relatively new that we are seeing," SFPD's Sgt. Monica MacDonald said.

MacDonald wants everyone to know that just because a person is carrying a pamphlet or door hanger, that does not make them legitimate.

"If anyone sees anything that's suspicious, give us a call and let us know. We're happy to come out," she said.

Bolles said his friends have all heard about these types of thefts and his story always sparks a debate.

"What do we do? Do we do street justice? Do we find these people, do we post fliers on the poles saying, 'Look out?' What do we do?" Bolles asked. "So this is an interesting debate on how we handle this problem."

The best way to protect packages is to have shipments sent to workplaces, post office boxes or other areas where they aren't such easy targets.