Porch pirates: How to guard against package theft this holiday season

With the holiday season approaching, it's time for homeowners to watch out for porch pirates. Now there are tactics to stop these bandits from taking packages off your doorstep.

According to a recent report, at least 23 million Americans have had packages stolen from their porches, mailboxes, and stoops, but now there are tactics to battle the bandits.

First -- here's a theft deterrent: add security cameras. You can add one to your front porch and get everything recorded. The Nest Cam sends an alert when it detects activity, and lets you talk back through the Nest app. And it's easy to install yourself. The price: $199.

If you don't want to pay any extra money, try Amazon locker. It's like a post office box, but just for Amazon deliveries. So instead of being delivered to your home, the packages arrive at a nearby Amazon locker location in a secure box. General shipping rates apply but no additional fees to store on most items.

The Doorman App is not in Houston yet, but it could soon be on the way. It's a service where a doorman will receive your package and deliver it when it's convenient for you.

And finally, lock it down literally with a box called Landport. This is expensive at $499 dollars, but this box is bolted down at your property and designed to prevent package theft with a code. Of course, you can change the code as often as you like.