Interview: AI-Generated porch pirate videos go viral

Holiday deliveries are stacking up across the city, and so are the viral videos claiming to catch porch pirates in booby-trapped “instant karma” moments. Many of the clips show thieves grabbing a package from a porch, only for it to explode into bright, colorful powder.

But experts say those dramatic takedowns aren’t what they seem.

“I’m noticing that a lot of them are fake or AI generated,” said Ben Stickle, professor of criminal justice at Middle Tennessee State University who has spent years studying porch pirate behavior.

Even celebrities have been fooled. San Antonio’s own Shaquille O’Neal shared one of the videos online before being flagged with a correction.

“If you're just scrolling through social media, though, chances are you may never notice, in fact, that these are AI generated,” Stickle said.

Stickle warns that while the AI videos are entertaining, the real-world crime they mimic is far more costly.

“$15 billion in loss just to consumers,” he said. “But then when you add in the retail sector... that looks closer to an additional 22 billion.”

Which means porch piracy amounts to roughly $37 billion in economic losses last year.

Stickle recently contributed to a Safewise study ranking San Antonio as the eighth-worst metro area in the country for package theft. In recent weeks, local residents have reported multiple cases of missing deliveries across area neighborhoods.

“The impact of this crime is significant,” Stickle said.

Homer Hernandez, president of the local letter carriers union, says simple communication can help prevent theft.

“This is the time to talk to your mailman, or whoever delivers your packages and let them know where exactly to put it, so the porch pirates won't get it,” Hernandez said.

In San Antonio’s Beacon Hill neighborhood, neighbors say that's the strategy they use.

“We all grab things from each others’ porches and put them in the backyard if they call us on the phone,” resident Richard Busker said.

But not all communities are taking such steps. During a recent drive through several neighborhoods, News 4 crews found packages left in plain sight, making them easy targets for thieves.

San Antonio police encourage residents to leave crime prevention and enforcement to law enforcement. Porch pirates can face fines and prison time depending on the value of what’s stolen. Creating a real explosive device — even as a prank — carries far more severe penalties.

Police say doorbell camera footage or photos can help identify suspects, and reporting package theft helps establish patterns when the same thief targets multiple homes.

Porch pirate data but it can be difficult to track because it is considered a theft and would be grouped together will all other thefts.

However, it is worth filing a police report because it helps build a paper trail and build a case against a suspect in the area. You can also call your SAFFE officer and inform them. Another option is calling 911 and requesting a patrol by. Contacting the police may not lead to an arrest immediately, but potentially in the future, SAPD says.