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YouTuber Mark Rober and Macaulay Culkin troll porch pirates with glitter bombs

Allison Matyus
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While the holiday season brings lots of online shopping, it also attracts thieves who will try to steal those packages that show up at your door. Never fear: A former NASA engineer has created a device that can deter package thieves this holiday shopping season. 

Mark Rober helped design NASA’s Curiosity Rover. He now has a successful YouTube channel where he conducts experiments. His most recent video features a new version of last year’s package trap that is aimed at catching nefarious package thieves red-handed. 

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The video posted on Sunday to his YouTube channel is titled “Porch Pirate vs. Glitter Bomb Trap 2.0,” and shows off his latest experiment in protection from package thieves. The new package features biodegradable glitter, GPS tracking, stink spray, a countdown sound effect, fake police chatter, and cameras. 

Rober said he has been the victim of package stealing in the past and was inspired by the movie Home Alone to make a revenge device for thieves who think it’s OK to steal other people’s packages. Home Alone actor Macaulay Culkin even appears in the video to help Rober test it. 

The new-and-improved device builds on the original design and took 10 months to perfect. Rober said he put out a call for people’s addresses and received more than 400 responses from people all over the country whose packages had been stolen in the past and who wanted their own form of revenge. 

The video goes on to show the thieves’ reactions as they open the package and panic, and while it’s definitely refreshing to see them get their just desserts, not every package thief is caught. 

Along with the convenience that comes with online shopping and having items delivered to your door, there’s always the added risk of theft.

“1.7 million packages are either stolen or go missing every day,” Rober said in the video.

There are a number of ways you can keep porch pirates away, including investing in some thief-stopping technology like a smart doorbell, lighting up your property, or merely asking neighbors you trust to keep an eye out for your packages, especially during the holiday season. 

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