KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Porch Pirates are a growing problem this holiday season.
Insurance Quotes found package thefts are up from 23.5 million in 2015 to 25.9 million in 2016.
One Knoxville family is hoping to deter thieves away by leaving a decoy box with an unpleasant surprise.
"What we decided was to take the dog's poop, put it in the empty Amazon box and put it on the front porch and leave a gift that day they'll never forget," Sam Tobin said.
The gift inside that decoy package is signed, sealed and delivered by their beloved dog Oden, a boxer mix.
"Was sitting on the couch all day, hoping to catch somebody," Tobin joked.
While Tobin and his fiance Bonnie Saul hope their method will deter thieves from their porch, companies like FedEx and Amazon have come up with ways to ensure packages get to the right home.
If you are shipping with FedEx, you can have your package delivered to a local Walgreens for pick up.
According to Amazon's website, there's a lockbox inside Knoxville's Whole Foods where customers can pick up their packages.
You can also request hold mail service through USPS so your package will stay at the post office or delivery center for a period of time.
The old fashion way works too, according to Tobin and Saul.
"We tell our neighbors when we are expecting a package. we ask them to keep an eye out if they see it sitting on the front porch, they'll grab it for us," Tobin said.
They hope this holiday season, thieves will look the other way, especially if they know what's really inside the package on the porch.