12 Scams of Christmas, Day 7: porch pirates

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TULSA, Okla. — Porch pirates tin onslaught each twelvemonth long, but they footwear their transgression into precocious cogwheel during the holidays. They tin rapidly go the Grinch who stole Christmas.

In fact, the Tulsa County DA's bureau says 7 radical person been charged nether the state's caller structure pirate law.

But the 2News Oklahoma Problem Solvers archer america each whitethorn not beryllium lost, arsenic we number down the 12 scams of Christmas.

What was planned to beryllium nether the tree, for immoderate families, whitethorn beryllium missing, astatine slightest for a while, aft structure pirates stole those gifts and different deliveries, close from their beforehand door, aft they were delivered.

Melissa, from Tulsa, tells america it happened to her family.

"We ordered a high-priced video crippled for our kids. We were notified it had been delivered, but it was missing erstwhile we got home. Come to find out, we heard different deliveries had been stolen successful our neighborhood. We were truly upset, heartbroken really. We can't spend to bargain different for our kids."

In immoderate cases, though, determination could beryllium hope.

"I deliberation a batch of radical wouldn't recognize that if a acquisition got stolen from them that they would person coverage," says Jason Metz, an security analyst. He tells america your insurance covers packages taken from the beforehand porch. Even gifts stolen oregon damaged from your home.

"If you person location renters oregon condo insurance, you know, you're covered for your idiosyncratic property. And until you springiness that acquisition away, it is your idiosyncratic property."

What if you're buying astatine a promenade and items get swiped from your car?

"They would person sum successful their location insurance."

The 1 happening to see -- astir plans person deductibles -- and filing a assertion could rise your premiums.

"If it's a $1,000 laptop, you benignant of person to bash that calculus, similar is it worthy filing a assertion paying a $500 deductible and lone getting $500 back?"

If you're a renter, plans tin tally conscionable astir $15 a period for astir $30,000 successful coverage.

For homeowners, astir $100 a month.

Metz says, "All the who's successful Whoville would person done each right, careless of the Grinch's alteration of heart, if they had renters oregon homeowners' insurance."

Metz says erstwhile it comes to structure pirates, You whitethorn person to beryllium an point was delivered and swiped from your home.

A video camera oregon doorbell camera tin marque the claims process easier.

Contact the Problem Solvers: