Stamping out trouble: Postal Service cracking down on mail theft, counterfeit postage

Jun 18, 2023

DALLAS -- The U.S. Postal Service and the Postal Inspection Service recently announced expanded actions to protect postal employees and the security of the nation's mail and packages as threats and attacks on letter carriers and mail fraud incidents have escalated.

The Postal Service and Postal Inspection Service made the announcement May 11 during a joint briefing for Congress members and staff.

"As crime rises, so do the threats against our public servants," said Postmaster General and Chief Executive Officer Louis DeJoy. "The men and women of the Postal Service are walking our nation's streets every day to fulfil our mission of delivering mail and packages to the American people. Every postal employee deserves to work in safety and to be free from targeting by criminals seeking to access the public's mail."

Incidents of letter carrier robberies are on the rise across the nation.

In Fiscal Year 2022, 412 USPS letter carriers were robbed on the job. With 305 incidents reported in the first half of Fiscal Year 2023, the incidents are increasingly more prevalent, the Postal Service said in a news release.

Additionally, the agency reported an increase in high volume mail theft incidents from mail receptacles including blue collection boxes: 38,500 in FY 2022 and more than 25,000 in the first half of FY 2023. The Postal Service will continue to work with its unions and management associations on training and employee education for letter carriers and other postal workers.

In response to safety threats, the Postal Service and the Postal Inspection Service are expanding their Project Safe Delivery crime prevention initiative, including --

setting up 12,000 high-security blue collection boxes nationwide; and

installing 49,000 electronic locks to replace arrow locks on secure mail receptacles.

The USPS also is overhauling how it processes change-of-address requests, which can be used in fraud. Among the changes --

Postal Service customers seeking a COA will now receive a validation letter at their old address and receive an activation letter at their new address.

As an additional safeguard, the Postal Service will no longer accept third-party change-of-address submissions.

In FY 2022, the Postal Service and Postal Inspection Service seized more than 340,000 packages with counterfeit postage and more than 7.7 million counterfeit stamps with an estimated $7.8 million loss avoidance for the Postal Service. Expanded actions to crack down on fraudulent postage include --

The Postal Service will fully exercise new authority to take possession and dispose of packages identified with counterfeit postage;

Reviews of shipments on Postal Service docks and during warehouse outreach visits;

Shut down of websites and closure of eCommerce accounts selling counterfeit postage;

Customs and Border Protection collaboration; and

Promotion of the Inspection Service's rewards program which provides rewards for information leading to the arrest and conviction of a person who unlawfully uses, reuses, or forges postage stamps, postage meter stamps, permit imprints or other postage; or uses, sells or possesses with the intent to sell any used, forged or counterfeit postage stamp or other postage.

To report stolen mail, submit an online complaint to the Postal Inspection Service at www.uspis.gov/report, or call 1-877-876-2455.

Allegations of Postal Service employee misconduct, including attempts to corrupt a Postal Service employee, can be reported to the USPS Office of Inspector General at 1-888-877-7644 or www.uspsoig.gov.

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