Porch pirate arrested: Montreal man gets stolen deliveries returned

A Notre-Dame-de-Grâce (NDG) man says his community helped save his holidays after he was victim of so-called "porch pirates."

It's not that rare of an occurrence, yet in this case police were able to return the items the next day.

"There was a citizen who saw the packages coming off my porch and called 911 as he was following them from a distance and described them to the police and they were walking to the Metro," said Adam Reider.

Meanwhile, Reider wasn't home but he was able to see what was happening in real time, thanks to a post on social media.

Not long after, Reider got a call from the police.

"[They said] some of your packages were stolen. I just wanted to let you know some good news that we found the people, we've arrested them and we have your stuff. And I was like, what? I couldn't believe it. That never happens," Reider said.

Claudiu Popa, co-founder of KnowledgeFlow Cybersafety Foundation, agrees.

"It's fantastic to hear that someone got products back, that they were not damaged, that it didn't take too long to get them back, and, of course, that people were brought to justice because we need to hear more of that kind of story," Popa told CTV News.

"Unfortunately, it's a rare situation and most people never see their items."

Popa says there are ways to protect yourself, especially during the holiday season.

"My recommendation to people is to have cameras. They're a great deterrent. In addition to them being a deterrent, you can also film porch pirates," she said.

But Popa adds that porch pirates are often disguised so you may want to consider other ways to deter thieves.

"If you are in a high-traffic area where items are being stolen, then you should use a lock box. And in many cases, I recommend using a pick-up box," she said.

Reider says one vigilant neighbour made the difference for his holidays.

"I'm lucky that it happened to me and to my kids and family, who the presents are for," he added.